Monochrome Precure
by Mirai Akina
Summary: Shortly after reuniting with N, Touko finds herself unlocking a mysterious power that can transform her into a Precure, Cure Flare! Now, it's a race against the clock to stop the Shadow Triad from bringing back Ghetsis, all while keeping N away from the potential danger to come. But who is this Cure Bolt that she keeps bumping into?
1. The Heroine of Truth, Cure Flare!

**A.N.: Hello and welcome to my first self-indulgent fanfiction, where I don't care about anything other than chaos, inconsistency, and things that don't make sense, topped with the occasional touching moments. You are welcome to join this train wreck of a ride that is definite OOC, hopes and dreams, questionable motivations, and magical girls! This fanfic is mostly to keep me going as I continue my studies because I've been writing some heavy stuff lately, and I really need a guilty pleasure to indulge in. Enjoy and I'll see you at the end!**

Chapter 1: The Heroine of Truth, Cure Flare!

Touko feels like she is inside a movie or even a perfect dream. How else can she describe what's happening at this moment?

The lights of Nimbasa City are flickering beneath her feet. The background framing the view of a male and female trainer morphs from the blinding sea of glowing dots to the vast star-covered void of the night sky.

They're smiling at each other, both of them pulling their hats down to hide some of their giddiness. The atmosphere is definitely romantic; a first for them ever since they've met.

The Ferris wheel stops. Their cart rests at the top.

"Touko," N begins, extending his hand out to her, "Let's travel together."

The girl across from him clasps his outstretched hand and nods. "Okay, N." They let their hands linger together, basking in the tiny shocks their fingers experience whenever someone's hand twitches. The heat in her cheeks continues to bubble up even after they have stopped talking to take in the breathtaking view.

Yes, it is definitely something out of a fairy tale, complete with a classic happy ending.

…

"That's strange. N is usually here on Fridays. Did I come here early?" A bubbly young trainer with a tote bag stands on her tiptoes as she scans the crowd for messy green hair. Her back is turned to the exit of the Ferris wheel, so she doesn't see N heading out that way until he calls her name.

"Mei? Oh, were you waiting for me?"

"N! I've been looking for you! You're usually waiting at the front…" Mei gasps when another girl dashes up to the lanky man, quietly apologizing for taking a while. He, in turn, shakes his head calmly, gazing at her with a softness Mei only sees when he talks about the friend who saved him.

"N, is that…?"

"Oh, that's right. Mei, I want you to meet Touko. She's the friend that I've told you about."

The two girls both stare at each other. Neither of them makes a move for several seconds. Touko starts to move her hand up to her fluffy ponytail, ready to run her fingers through the thick bundle of hair.

Mei grabs her hand before she can do so.

"You're really Touko?! The same Touko who saved Unova three years ago?!" The excited trainer shakes their clasped hands up and down with the same energy as her awestruck voice. Her eyes transform into stars, clearly dazzled by the plain-looking girl.

"I'm Mei! It's nice to meet you, Touko! I bet we'll be good friends!"

She flashes an infectious smile, and Touko can't help but reciprocate. "I think we will. Nice to meet you, too." To the side, N joins in with his own small grin. A small part of him was afraid that they wouldn't be able to get along, but it seems that his fears were misplaced.

"Oh, am I interrupting something? Are you guys on a date?"

Touko lowers her head, her cap hiding her rapidly coloring cheeks and shaky smile. N only tilts his head.

"A date? Mei, what is that?"

…

**_The next day..._**

"There is an outbreak of Sudowoodo on Route 20. Professor Juniper wants me to observe them, so can you come with me, Touko?" Bianca, a blonde girl with red frames adorning her lime green eyes, asks her childhood friend.

"Yeah, of course! I'm not doing anything today."

The two friends, reunited after three long years of pursuing their own dreams, are strolling back down from the perch overseeing the lake hidden within the nearby forest, catching up on lost time, when Bianca receives a call from Professor Juniper.

"Aspertia City is such a homely city. I envy Cheren; he works here every day."

"I know, right? But he's so busy taking care of the gym and the school that he doesn't even have time to hang out with me! And he says that he's trying to 'have fun' more often."

"It's not Cheren unless he's multitasking on work. I'm glad that he's found his calling, just like you."

Bianca smiles back and nods. Seeing her taking a step towards a future chosen from their journey makes Touko grin melancholically. While she was gone pursuing her sense of wanderlust, her friends are settling down. It makes her wonder if her own journey was as impactful as her friends' were. They've changed so much.

"Speaking of, I've heard that you met N again and that you're traveling together now! But wait, if that's the case, then where is he?"

She takes quick peeks down the street, searching for the tall, lanky man.

Touko lets out an embarrassed laugh. Her hand instinctively reaches for her cap, pulling it down over her eyes. "Yeah, it still feels like a dream that we've finally found each other again. We did decide to travel together, but he wanted to deal with a personal issue before we head out, so he's in Driftveil City at the moment."

"Oh...Oh! I think I know what he's doing."

Their conversation ends there as they walk through the Aspertia gate. The warm summer sun beats down gently, sending a soothing warmth straight to their bloodstreams. Touko takes a glance up at the clear sky, marveling at the sheer beauty of such a normal and common day.

Route 19 is teeming with life. The two trainers lurking on the path wave at them as they leisurely pass through. A pack of Purrloin decides to chase down several poor Patrat, victims of their game of cat and mouse.

"Didn't you say that Alder lives nearby? Can we visit him?"

"Oh yes! I'm sure he wants to see how the Heroine of Truth is doing."

Touko grimaces. "Please don't call me that again. It feels weird."

"Whoops! Sorry! But you have to admit, it's such a cool title!"

Down by her hips, Reshiram's luxury ball rumbles slightly as if to agree with Bianca. The heroine groans as her mind entertain the idea of her legendary partner and her best friend sharing notes on how to embarrass her.

"**_The three of you show affection to one another by teasing each other. It is a sign of friendship, is it not?"_**

"_I didn't ask for your input!" _Touko mentally screams, suddenly dashing ahead to clear out the heat under her face.

"Wait, Touko, watch out!"

_Thud!_

"Oww…" she grumbles out, rubbing her butt as she looks up with one eye closed in pain. Another person, an older man, releases a grunt at the same time.

"I'm so sorry...Alder?!"

"Why if it isn't Touko! What's got you so flustered?"

She picks herself up quickly and helps the former champion up. "Nothing! Nothing at all! Just running to feel the breeze!"

Bianca, behind her, shakes her head. Alder erupts into laughter. "Well, I apologize for suddenly jumping down like that. I probably should have given a warning."

He laughs again after apologizing, and Touko feels a bead of sweat running down the back of her head.

"So what brings you two to this part of Unova?"

"Oh, we're heading off to Route 20 to study the recent outbreak," chirps the blonde assistant.

"Oh, you mean that pack of Sudowoodo? Then let me accompany you. I can show you where they hang out."

Bianca's smile grows even brighter as she thanks him for his help. Touko, however, finds his hospitable gesture a bit odd. Surely, her help is enough for Bianca, right? He knows that she's accompanying her.

"Alder, not to be rude or anything, but why are you helping us? I can take care of Bianca myself."

His face darkens suddenly. Both girls flinch at the sudden shift. Bianca is even scolding Touko under her breath with a panicked tone.

"To tell you the truth, I sense something bad coming from that direction. I've been trying to warn people as they head into town to be wary of what's ahead, but I don't know what exactly it is."

The two look at each other and nod.

"Lead the way, Alder," Touko says, silently steeling herself for a battle.

…

According to Bianca, nothing about the route itself is off.

It isn't something drastic, like ice covering the river or a giant hole in the middle of the path. But the sneaking feeling of something lurking in the shadows pricks at Touko's skin. They see the local Pokémon hiding in the trees, near the bottom of the river, and in that neat batch of tall grass.

"What's gotten into them?" Bianca wonders aloud as she takes note of their strange behavior. Touko and Alder each release a Pokémon to assist them, a Samurott and an Escavalier respectively.

"Should I call N and see if he can translate for us? I know that he's busy checking up on Anthea and Concordia, but..." Touko asks them, already a tap away from contacting him on her Xtransceiver.

"If you can get a hold of him, then yes. It would be a great help," Alder answers, but before she can tap on the call button, another voice echoes throughout the route.

"I've found the perfect specimen for my experiment."

"W-What?!" Bianca cries out, and just as the word escapes her lips, she screams. Finding herself in someone's grip, she tries her best to break free, but the mystery person is too strong for her. He keeps a tight grasp on her arm as he covers her mouth with his other hand to cut off her panicked shrieks.

"Bianca!" Touko cries out, her Samurott already assuming a battle stance. She is barely able to register the white hair on the captor's head before she releases her first command. "Ritsu, use Waterfall!" The Formidable Pokémon charges at the mysterious villain with a current of turbulent water, but he merely jumps out of the way and takes Bianca up the cliff. He stares down at her with a dead serious glare, taunting her to act on impulse.

Now that they've come to a standstill, Touko and Alder take in the sight of Bianca's captor. The first thing they notice is that his mouth is covered by a black cloth. His white hair is the part that sticks out the most, flowing down to his upper back. A long gray cape obscures the rest of his outfit, but under the gap that has opened up for his arm to slip out and keep Bianca in place was a glimpse of black clothing.

Touko gasps.

"You're...from the Shadow Triad! Does that mean that Team Plasma is back again?!"

The man's glare only deepens. "And you're the trainer who defeated Ghetsis the first time. No matter. I got what I was looking for." He refuses to answer her question.

"Let go of Bianca!" she commands as her Samurott rushes up to the top of the cliff with another Waterfall. A Bisharp appears out of the shadows to swat her Pokémon back down to the ground.

"Ritsu!"

"Now, let's commence the experiment."

"Touko!" Bianca screams, but a sudden gust of heavy wind drowns out her cry. She slumps down abruptly as the heavy wind turns into a vacuum, sucking up both Touko's friend and all of the Sudowoodo into a gaping hole that has opened up in the sky.

"Behold, our new power!"

Alder and Touko can only stare up in shock as a giant tree monster slams down next to Shadow, causing a small wave of tremors. It doesn't have any eyes, but the top of the tree is barren, just a web of dead leaves. The branches are equipped with bundles of compact leaves that form large boxing gloves. And in the center, where the trunk expands out to the branches, is Bianca. Her body is absorbed into the tree, leaving only her head and her arms exposed. Her visible body parts are entangled with an intricate web of vines as it releases an aura of dark energy.

"Bianca...what have you done, you fiend?!" Alder demands. He has recalled his Escavalier for his trusty Volcarona. Shadow is also in awe of what just transpired, but he recovers quickly and turns to them.

"Cower in fear, heroes. We are now able to fuse humans and Pokémon together. This is only the first step towards our real goal."

They can fuse people and Pokémon together? The abominable idea terrifies them both. With sweaty palms, Touko recalls Ritsu and releases Reshiram from its luxury ball, knowing that a water-type Pokémon will not do much.

"**_Heroine, I am here to assist."_**

"Reshiram, Fusion Flare!" Touko orders. The Vast White Pokémon inhales deeply and wills its powers to summon an orb of flames. It fires at the horrifying fusion, but a wall of dark energy shields the creature from harm. Its attack was inches away from spreading across Bianca's morphed body.

"Volcarona, Bug Buzz!"

The Sun Pokémon unleashes a series of sound waves that visibly shakes the tree monster but ultimately does nothing when the dark barrier shows up again to reflect the damaging radiation. Under his cold persona, there is a twinkle of excitement in Shadow's eyes.

"Pokémon attacks won't work on it. And even if they did, this poor girl here would be taking the brunt of the attacks. I'm sure you don't want to harm her, right?"

Another petrifying revelation. Shadow holds up the device it was hiding underneath his cape and presses another button. The tree creature begins to move.

"Now, my Kugeki! Bring despair to those two bothersome thorns!"

"Alder, run!" Touko screeches, the fear building within her. The former champion opens his mouth to protest, but the fiery blaze in Touko's blue eyes halts his words.

"I-I can't just leave you here alone against that thing!" he finally manages to sputter out. The Heroine of Truth shoots another glare at him.

"You need to go to the nearby towns and make sure no one comes here. I'll delay this...thing for as long as I can."

With a gruff sigh, Alder surrenders and follows her orders. He dashes onwards to Virbank City, having already withdrawn his Pokémon. Shadow makes no moves to stop him and instead sets his sights on Touko.

"Kugeki, attack her! Make sure she stays down forever!"

The ground shakes as the tree monster digs its roots into the cliff and throws its many branches out to sock her. Touko desperately hops onto Reshiram's back and takes flight, knowing that she can't possibly be able to dodge the Kugeki's punches on the ground. The tree monster merely changes the trajectory of its bullet punches, and soon Touko finds herself weaving in and out of the clouds.

"Reshiram, what do we do?! None of our attacks won't work, and we have to save Bianca!"

"**_...There may be a way to change her back."_**

"Well, what is it?! We have to hurry!"

"**_Remain calm, heroine. First, take out my luxury ball."_**

She fumbles trying to find Reshiram's compact home. Once she has successfully taken the ball out of her bag, the legendary Pokemon dives down and lands behind the tree monster. Bianca's head digs its way to the back of the tree monster to face Touko. The sight makes her shiver.

"**_I am going to use this as a medium to transfer my powers to you. Take a deep breath, concentrate, and then say 'Curing Fusion Orb!'"_**

She blinks several times. Is...is she hearing things right? Touko glances up at the legendary Pokémon, but she sees no twinkle of mischief or amusement or anything other than an eerie seriousness.

"I-I'm not saying that!"

"**_Just say it, heroine. Those are the activation words."_**

"No, I won't! Can't you make it less childish?! Less cringy?! And why are you transferring your powers to me?!"

"**_If I give you my powers, then the combination of human and Pokémon might be able to disrupt that force field of darkness surrounding that monster. And heroine, I am afraid it will not respond in any other way. Do you want your friend to stay in that state?"_**

"_Leave it to Reshiram to deliver a low blow so casually." _But when Touko makes eye contact with her merged friend, she hears something crying out to her.

"_It's so cold in here...am I doomed to be stuck here, useless to everyone…? I'm trying not to be a bother, but..."_

Shadow must have heard that as well, for he casts a backward glance and nods.

"That's right. You are only a stepping stone for us, for Ghetsis, and for your friends. You should revel in your weakness and surrender completely to us."

"Don't you dare insult Bianca's struggles like that!" the trainer fiercely retorts back, glowering at the Team Plasma member with unrestrained fury. "She knows that she can't be like me or Cheren or any of the other trainers, but she keeps looking towards the future and following her own path! It takes true strength to keep moving forward after accepting your weaknesses! You and Ghetsis will never understand that!"

She points a finger at Shadow. "I'm going to free her from your horrible experiment and bring the real Bianca back! And just so you know, none of my friends are useless!"

There is no hesitation from Touko now. Sure, she has no idea if Reshiram's idea will work, but no one dredges up Bianca's fears and anxieties and gets away with it.

"Curing Fusion Orb!"

She erupts into flames. A pillar of orange light engulfs her, blinding the monster and Shadow. The enemy lets out a sputtered gasp, the only sign of emotion he has released ever since their first meeting. Touko finds herself transported to a realm of fire and floating white feathers. Reshiram's luxury ball levitates out of her hands and opens up, expelling a burst of orange and blue flames. She feels her clothes and hat melt away, which is replaced with an orange-tinted white gown, as the fires continue to wrap around her. Her body starts free-floating in this strange new realm, tumbling with the flames.

On a whim, she drips a finger into the billowing fire spewer and finds that she can manipulate the flames as it follows along with her finger's path. A force takes over her, and she loops her finger over her legs, and a pair of white boots materializes over her feet, reaching up to her ankles. Golden rings, two on each boot, snap themselves onto her footwear to secure them.

Touko then draws a trail of spirals over her right arm. Some of the floating feathers blend with the swirling flames to create a short white cloth that serves as an armguard with a wing-like attachment. Dripping her finger back into the luxury ball, Touko lets the clashing combination of blue and orange flames engulf her body, and a pure white one-shoulder dress soon replaces her preparation gown. Several feathers stick to her left shoulder to make a wing-like sleeve. The white skater skirt reaches just about the middle of her thighs, fluttering as she twirls around to get a feel of her new outfit. She draws an incomplete butterfly shape onto her chest and then drags her finger downwards, creating an upside-down triangle that stops at her stomach.

Now using both pointer fingers, Touko crafts two feathery protrusions, one at each hip, similar to the ones on Reshiram's legs. As she uses up the remaining fire erupting from the luxury ball, two rings swirl around her, one on her neck and one on her waist. From the ring around her neck, a silver choker is formed. The ring on her waist creates a silky belt, complete with a light blue wing-shaped bow. From the chaos of fire and feathers, a back accessory shaped like Reshiram's majestic wings attaches itself to her lower back.

Touko looks up to find the flames dancing around her hair. She feels her ponytail extend until it easily reaches to her hips, curling to the edge to resemble the element around her. The bangs by the side of her face clasp themselves back to her ponytail, while the tiny hair antennas on top extend to a point where they become thicker and droop down to her back, flowing just as voluminously as Reshiram's mane. As the flames complete their work, the chocolate-brown color of her hair explodes to a golden orange.

The luxury ball, having exhausted its fuel, finds comfort in the furry bag that is latched to her lower back. The flames also dissipate, leaving behind the orange light and storm of feathers.

Touko lands on her feet with practiced precision.

"The Heroine of Truth!" she proclaims with a finger twirl of blue fire. Snapping her fingers, Touko lets the small ember spin around her before clasping it with her hand. It flickers, scatters to the wind, as she places her left hand on her waist and raises her right arm to follow an arc around her face. Slamming down her hand, a burst of fire encircles the magical girl before finally revealing her final pose.

"Cure Flare!"

The pillar of light vanishes. Flare stands before the fused monster with a defiant glare...before immediately hiding her face behind her hands and groaning audibly.

"W-What in the world am I saying?!"

"**_Congratulations, Cure Flare. I believe that the merging of our powers is successful."_**

"R-Reshiram, explain yourself!" she shrieks out. A brief draft causes her skirt to flutter, and Touko lets out another whine. Shadow recoils back, eyes wide with shock, while his Kugeki trembles with him.

"A-And what the hell am I wearing?! I better have shorts under this skirt!"

Just to check, she pushes her hands under the back of her dress. Flare immediately sighs in relief when she feels rough fabric instead of cotton panties.

"**_You are going to be fighting in that, so yes, I have provided shorts."_**

Her disbelief skyrockets. "I-I'm going to be fighting in this...dress?! No way! This thing isn't practical at all!" Something lands on her right shoulder, and it takes her a moment to register that it was a _miniature _Reshiram who perched itself there.

"**_Do not worry, Cure Flare. Your dress will not be torn to shreds. My powers will keep it intact."_**

"T-That's not-! And why are you calling me that?! And why are you so small?! Gah! There are so many questions I want answers to, and you need to spill now!"

"**_We can talk later. First, let us save Bianca."_**

"And how am I supposed to do that in this?!"

"**_Flare, incoming!"_**

Her head swiftly turns to the front. A barrage of punches is throttling towards her direction, and her reflexes aren't fast enough for her to react. She takes the onslaught of punches aimed directly at her face, and the force from the impending collision pushes her back several feet. Flare, despite getting bombarded by a merciless assault, quickly picks herself up and finally rises her arms in a defensive guard.

"**_Amazing. A normal human would have been knocked unconscious just from the impact. Your reflexes have also been enhanced."_**

"Are you saying that you actually don't know what this transformation does?!"

Flare glances up from her arms to focus her gaze on her enemy. How in the world is she supposed to fight that? It can launch multiple powerful punches as easily as a Machamp can.

"**_Close the distance, Flare. You need to weaken it before we can separate Bianca from that monster."_**

"_So essentially like a Pokémon battle."_ Her head spins with the surreal realization that this is actually happening, and not some fever dream she's having on a hot summer day.

"I really don't know what is going on, but if it means saving Bianca…"

She slowly bends her legs as the next volley of punches charges her way. When they're about to hit her head on, Flare takes off running, dodging each rapid-fire strike with tiny sidesteps and hops. As she continues to traverse the forest of volleying jabs, she takes to reflecting and blocking some of the attacks that she's unable to swerve away from. Soon, she's engaged in a heated exchange of punches with the monster, slamming her way closer and closer to the base of the tree.

"I-Impossible...what is going on?! Where is this power coming from?!" The Shadow Triad member exclaims. And honestly, she lives for bringing terror to bad guys like him. The way she subverts their expectations of her and personally makes them realize just how utterly screwed they are...it never fails to set her heart ablaze.

He fumbles with the controls on his device, and upon hitting a random button, watches as the monster's aura darkens to a sickly purple. Bianca's head grimaces as the vines consume her arms and part of her face. Touko urges herself to run faster, dodge quicker, punch harder. She's so close.

"HAAAAAAAHH!" With a fist full of fire, she lets loose a charged punch to the base of the tree monster. The dark barrier protecting the fused monstrosity shatters to pieces. The Kugeki wobbles once, twice, to try to stabilize its footing, but the weight of her attack ultimately uproots it from the ground as it slumps back onto the edge of the cliff.

"**_Now, Flare!" _**Reshiram telepathically commands.

The strange realm of fire and white feathers emerges again. Flare senses a smothering heat flowing from her fingertips, and after flying up with her dainty wings, lets the flickering blue flames surround the Kugeki. She draws a circle in front of her and announces her special move.

"Precure...Blue Flare!"

An inferno of azure embers descends onto the weakened Kugeki. Shadow is blinded by the brightness of her attack and can only look away as a beam of condensed neon blue fire slams down onto the base of the monster's trunk. What soon occurs is a massive mushroom cloud-shaped flame fountaining to the sky. The cage of vines burns down without any sort of resistance, leaving behind an unconscious assistant Pokémon professor and several Sudowoodo, all clinging onto the knocked out human.

The device in Shadow's hand blows up. He grunts and promptly disappears, not bothering to leave behind a threat of defeating her next time.

Flare lands next to her friend feeling completely drained. Just how much power did that last attack need? The adrenaline begins to expel from her bloodstream, and once again, she's standing there in disbelief.

"I think I'm crazy," she confirms after a moment of silence.

…

"Ngh...huh…?"

Bianca opens her eyes and finds Touko over her, watching with relieved blue eyes. The professor's assistant registers that she's laying on her friend's lap and hastily sits up straight.

"W-Where am I? What happened?"

Touko tilts her head as they pick themselves up. "You don't remember?"

"Remember what? The only thing I can recall is being held captive by someone…?" Bianca scans the route for any unusual activity, but it seems that everything is spotless. "That's weird. I'm pretty sure something did happen, right?"

Unbeknownst to the blonde assistant, Touko is shifting nervously, mentally pleading for an excuse from Reshiram.

"_She doesn't remember! What do I say?!"_

"**_That must be the side effects of that device. I suggest telling her about what really happened."_**

"_Does Reshiram even hear itself speak sometimes? How can it not know how that is out of the question?!"_

Shaking her head vigorously, Touko retorts back, incredulous to how she's the only one taking this seriously.

"_And tell her how through some weird...magical transformation, we were able to combine our powers to defeat a giant tree monster that was created from fusing her and a pack of Sudowoodo?! She's not going to believe me!"_

"**_Then I will vouch for you."_**

"_No! No! No! This is going to be a one-time thing! Whatever that was is never happening again!"_

"Oh, but if I'm here now, that means that you saved me, right Touko?!" Bianca squeals out, eyes sparkling with hope. Her friend can only rub her head nervously as she sheepishly verifies that she has indeed rescued her.

"Thank you so much! No matter what, you'll always be my hero!"

The starstruck expression prints itself onto Bianca's face. Touko's cheeks warm at the cheesy line. "Come on, Bianca. Stop embarrassing me."

They both devolve into a fit of giggles. And as they head back to Aspertia City, the Heroine of Truth prays that this is _hopefully _a one-time thing.

**Profile: Touko**

**The main protagonist of Pokémon Black. Chosen by Reshiram as the heroine of truth, she's a feisty, tomboyish trainer with a girly side that is rarely seen. Realistic and blunt, her defining character traits are her unwavering convictions and a strong belief in herself. If she can do it, she will do it. She cares deeply for her friends and will do anything to keep them safe. Touko is the kind of person to do what she thinks is the right thing, which can put her at odds with others, especially with her strong convictions backing her up. Unfortunately, due to her confrontational nature, she is a terrible liar. She's currently forming a budding relationship with N, her former enemy, while trying to reconnect with Cheren and Bianca after losing contact with them for three years.**

**Age: 17**

**Horoscope: Scolipede**

**Alter Ego: Cure Flare**

**Symbol: Rings or circles**

**Signature move: Precure Blue Flare**

**Transformation Device: Reshiram's luxury ball**


	2. There's Another Precure Out There?

**Chapter 2: There's Another Precure Out There?! **

It is a peaceful afternoon in Aspertia City.

"You what?!"

It is a slightly peaceful afternoon in Aspertia City.

"Bianca, how could you let that happen to you?!" Cheren scolds, clutching the folder with his lesson plans a bit too tightly. Bianca huffs and retorts, "I can't help it if a ninja kidnaps me! They lurk in the shadows, Cheren! In the shadows! None of us can sense that!"

"A ninja?! Did you know what would've happened if Touko and Alder haven't accompanied you then?! You could have been used as ransom! Or worse, they could have used you as an example! Who knows what kind of person that ninja is serving!"

"Why are you getting so heated, Cheren?! Touko would never let that happen! What's done is done, and I'm safe now, right?!"

Touko awkwardly watches her friend bicker at each other. She should have known that this was going to happen. She even warned Bianca about not telling Cheren, but in the middle of their conversation, Bianca accidentally let that slip, and now they're arguing over her "incompetence."

"Can't I be worried about my friend? I know that I've been busy, but that doesn't mean…" he trails off, breaking eye contact with the blonde assistant. He appears as if he wants to say more, but instead, they linger in silence.

"That doesn't mean...what?" Bianca questions, tilting her head at him.

Cheren chews his lips nervously, and Touko stares wide-eyed at his reaction. Where was the cheeky comeback? The deflection? The direct denial?

"Just...be careful next time," he mutters, "Touko won't always be there to bail you out."

Bianca's smile at that moment could have broken the clouds and usher in the sunlight. "Oh Cheren, you do care! Don't worry, I'll be extra careful!" The teacher only coughs as Touko sighs at the whole exchange.

"_Cheren, you're too obvious!"_

"Speaking of: some of my students saw a giant explosion coming from Route 20. Is that related to you being taken as a hostage?"

Touko begins to sweat.

…

"Alright, Reshiram, spill," the trainer commands as she leans over the railing of the Aspertia lookout. The Vast White Pokémon stands next to her, taking in the view of the night sky.

"_**What exactly would you like me to explain to you?"**_

"I get that you infused your powers into me, and that turned me into…" A flashback of her wearing that pretty-looking dress punching branches at lightning speed causes her to flush with embarrassment.

"What did I turn into?"

"_**I do not know if there is an established term for what you have become, but I do have a name if you wish to use it."**_

"Which is…?"

"_**A Precure. And your alter ego is Cure Flare."**_

Touko bonks her head on the cold railing. "W-Well, it's better than nothing, I guess." She takes out the luxury ball and contemplates its glossy sheen. "Can all Pokémon do that, though? Can they...transfer their powers to humans?"

"_**That is not possible for normal Pokémon. Even with other legendary Pokémon, it is highly unlikely. Pokémon may lend their strength to humans through battling, but actually allowing humans to wield that power themselves? It is unheard of."**_

"So why can you do it?"

"_**I believe your ability to transform is not because of me, but because of a small malfunction I've found in the luxury ball."**_

"A malfunction in the luxury ball." Her voice tries to come off as dull, but the underlying incredulity is barely restrained.

"_**Let me finish, heroine. I have noticed this error ever since you have captured me. At first, I merely observed the nature of this malfunction from the inside, and I soon concluded that, unlike other Poké Balls, a more direct connection between trainer and Pokémon can be achieved. Soon after, I have begun to experiment with this defect with the help of your Lilligant."**_

"You roped Lillil into this?! When?!"

"_**It was always when you were asleep. We would work late at night, trying different things to see what exactly this connection is. And, just a few weeks ago, I have discovered the malfunction's true nature. It can allow me to directly transfer my powers to you by a hidden mechanism that can only be activated by an activation code. And, while I was setting that up…"**_

"Reshiram?" Touko urges on tentatively. The way Reshiram purposefully stops talking sends an ominous shiver down her spine.

"_What are you guys watching?" Touko curiously asked the group of Pokémon sitting comfortably in front of the TV. She walked over to get a closer look, but she was soon blinded by the number of sparkles and hearts spewing all over the screen. A girl in a very pink dress posed for the audience, defiantly declaring that she'll do her best to defeat evil._

"_Isn't that a kids' show?" _

_Her Pokémon did not seem to hear her. A few seconds later, they erupted into a chorus of nonsensical noises, cheering on the heroine as she used her ultimate technique. Their trainer sighed and crashed down onto the bed. _

"_It must be nice to be that optimistic. Being able to defeat the forces of evil with the power of hope and friendship...magic existing." _

_Reshiram looked back from the television to its own heroine. It observed the steady breathing of her body as she dozed off to sleep._

"_I used to like those shows, too," she mumbled out. "But the world doesn't work like that."_

"_**I was watching an episode of that show while I was putting the finishing touches. By the time I realized what I did, it had already locked in my settings, and I have been unable to change them since. The only thing I could do afterward was come up with a name for the form you would take after gaining my powers."**_

The legendary Pokémon glances at Touko to gauge her reaction, but it finds its trainer on her knees, trembling slightly. Her knuckles are white as she grasps onto the railings with an iron grip.

"S-So what you're saying is that not only did I catch a legendary Pokémon in a defective Poké Ball, but also that it had been tweaking a hidden mechanism that can transform me into a magical girl within that same ball behind my back?"

"_**Yes, that is correct."**_

Her form quickly fades to gray. Visible dread lines run down the back of her head. Touko has slipped into the realm of unbearable disbelief.

"T-This has to be one huge joke, right?"

"_**No, heroine, this is reality."**_

Silence hangs over them both. Reshiram, still standing tall beside its heroine, waits patiently for Touko to process the information it has unceremoniously dumped on her.

"Ghetsis is actually trying to make a comeback," she finally says. From the way she wants to continue the conversation, it seems like she has accepted the truth of her situation.

"_**Yes, and we must be prepared for their attack. This will not be the last time we see them. Even after being defeated twice, it seems that Ghetsis is a persistent man."**_

Shortly after meeting Mei, both the trainer from Aspertia City and N recounted the events of Neo-Team Plasma to Touko, who asked how they became friends. She was shocked to learn that her home region was in danger while she was searching for N, but her guilt was quickly placated by the younger trainer.

"_All this happened while I was gone? Some heroine I am, abandoning Unova in its time of need."_

_Mei shook her head. "You couldn't have known, Touko. I'm sure the entire region didn't expect Ghetsis to make a comeback! Don't be so hard on yourself."_

_But she did know. Before she left Unova, she had bumped into the Shadow Triad on the Marvelous Bridge. Under Ghetsis's orders, they told her that he had gone into hiding, not wanting to be found by anyone-even them. After giving her three mysterious orbs, they disappeared, and Touko never saw them again. It had struck her as odd, considering that she had torn down years of meticulous planning and lies, but now…it all made sense._

_Ghetsis had ordered the Shadow Triad to tell her these things to get her off his back._

"_I...I just want Unova to be safe. That's my reason for becoming a strong trainer."_

"_And it is safe, thanks to everyone! Cheren, Bianca, N...we won't let anything happen to the region that you saved! It's the least we can do!"_

_Placing a hand on her shoulder, N gently smiled, as if to agree. "That's right, Touko. You have already done so much for Unova. If you wanted to pursue your dream, then we can't blame you for doing so."_

A deep sense of dread invades her mind. _"If the Shadow Triad are trying to bring Ghetsis back...then N-!" _

Reshiram can sense where her thoughts are heading.

"_**N will definitely be targeted. Not only does the possibility of Ghetsis holding a grudge against him exists, but he can also be used as bait to lure you to your demise. He is a man who is not afraid to manipulate and use people for his own goals."**_

With a trembling body, Touko curls up and buries her head into her legs. "It hasn't even been a full day since I've found him, and already, I have to decide whether or not to hurt him again! This journey was supposed to be the perfect opportunity to get to know him as a friend! I don't want to push him away just because his past keeps coming back to haunt him. I'm sure...that he'll be devastated if I did."

"_**Who says you have to push him away?"**_

She snaps her head up. Reshiram is glancing down with a gentle but stern face.

"_**I think keeping him close is the best option in ensuring his safety. If the Shadow Triad is indeed searching for N to bring to Ghetsis, they will find him, no matter if they follow you or scout him out in the shadows. But, if he travels with you, you can at least fight to protect him."**_

Touko's mouth drops in awe at her partner's logic. Reshiram's stoic expression remains plastered to its face as it continues with its explanation.

"_**I do not like hiding the truth, but we know nothing about why the Shadow Triad is fusing people and Pokémon together, much less how that connects with bringing back Ghetsis. Until we have more information, we cannot afford to make reckless decisions. That includes getting people involved in a battle only we can fight. But this is ultimately your decision. Whatever you choose, I shall stand beside it."**_

With a weak exhale, Touko stands up and adjusts her cap. "We must hide the truth from N-from everyone. I wouldn't normally stand for keeping the truth away either, but these aren't normal circumstances. They pose an even greater threat to Unova than they did before, and there's nothing anyone can actually do to stop them. We are the only ones with the power to fight those monsters."

Reshiram nods to solidify their choice. The heroine takes one more glance at the rustic scene before her.

"_**Are you still going to go on your journey with N?"**_

"I…" The hesitation is crystal clear. A shaky breath escapes her mouth.

"_**What does your heart tell you, heroine? What do you think is the right decision? What will keep N safe? Do not lie to yourself."**_

"_The right decision? What my heart tells me? Is that the train of thought I should be following? And yet, there's only one thing I can hear inside."_

With patient blue eyes, Reshiram glances down at its partner, knowing full well what her choice is.

"I'm going to protect him, Reshiram. If the Shadow Triad even breathes near him, I will burn them to cinders."

"_**Very well. Just be prepared for the day when N learns the truth. When that day comes, you must commit and tell him everything."**_

"Yeah, I know. I only hope that he'll understand my decision."

…

When Touko wakes up the next day, her drowsiness immediately intensifies once she sees Mei talking animatedly with her mom. Bianca is already seated at the dining table, sipping on a cup of Pinap juice.

"Good morning, Touko! Did you have a good night's sleep? Come join us for breakfast!" The younger trainer chirps out. She hands Touko a plate of pancakes, topped with lots of syrup and butter.

The heroine switches her gaze from the tower of diabetes to Mei, who's positively glowing with energy. _"Wow, I swear her smile just summoned a burst of hearts and flowers."_

"I think I'll do just that," she replies. "And thank you for letting me stay over." Mei's mother waves her hand as if to shoo away Touko's distant politeness.

"No need to thank me. What kind of person would I be if I turn away my friend's daughter? You are always welcome here."

"Yeah, don't be a stranger, Touko! I mean, Bianca practically calls this her second home!" The blonde assistant almost spits out her drink out at Mei's words.

"H-Hey, when you say it like that, you make it sound like I'm freeloading!" she futilely retorts.

"Bianca has been renting out my daughter's room whenever she's here for research," Mei's mother explains to a confused Touko, who's still standing there with the plate of pancakes. "She comes by often, too!"

The heroine takes a peek at her childhood friend. Bianca, wisely, doesn't meet her gaze and instead opens her Xtransceiver to call Professor Juniper, supposedly for her assignment of the day. There's only one thought that Touko is running through her sluggish mind.

"_She's also too obvious!"_

With a polite but oblivious grin, Mei says, "Touko, you might want to eat those pancakes soon."

"Huh…? Oh..." The once firm pile of fluffy hotcakes is now drooping down, saturated to the point of sticking together. The butter is gone, and the puddle of syrup at the bottom is slowly disappearing.

"Can I get a cup of Moomoo milk? This might take me a while to finish."

…

"So, where are you going next, Touko?"

"Castelia City. N and I have decided to meet at Prime Pier and go from there. How about you?"

Mei tilts her head up, probably scrolling through a mental to-do list. "Well, maybe I'll go see if Curtis is done with his work in the Hoenn region. It's been a while since I've called him, so hopefully, he's back in Unova."

"Is he a friend of yours?" Touko questions, curious about this unfamiliar person. The younger trainer nods as she pokes at her Xtransceiver. "Yep! He's a bit shy, but he's also a sweet guy! His work usually hogs up most of his time, though, so we only call once in a while."

They are about to step into the Aspertia Gate when Mei hears her name being called in that rushed and brash manner that only belongs to one person.

"Mei!"

"Hugh? What's the matter? And when did you come back?" she asks her childhood friend. Hugh, with his recognizable Qwilfish-like navy blue hair, bends down to catch his breath. He must have sprinted to catch her before she leaves the city. A younger girl struggles to catch up to him while a Liepard lazily drags itself along.

"What do you mean, 'when did I come back?' I've been here for a week!" His irritation slips into his response. "Anyway, my sister wants to tell you something." With his eyes, Hugh gestures to his sister, but he finds that her eyes are sparkling, awestruck at something. The Liepard next to her nudges the little girl to snap her out of her daze.

"Y-You're Touko! The hero of Unova!"

Touko bends down to the girl's level and grins softly. "It's nice to meet you. Is this your Liepard?" She places a hand onto the Pokémon's head, and, to Hugh and his sister's surprise, it purrs and leans into her touch.

"Wow! That's amazing!" the little girl squeals. "Liepard wouldn't let me pet it for a long time, even after big brother rescued it from Team Plasma."

Hugh looks away as if ruminating. "My sister's Liepard was only a Purrloin when Team Plasma kidnapped it a few years ago. I went on a journey to bring it back, but, when I did find it, it didn't recognize my sister. It took us months before it began to open up and accept my sister again."

The little girl nods, tenderly placing a hand over Liepard's head to pet its soft fur. "There were times where I thought Liepard will never remember me, but big brother kept telling me to never give up. He told me that, if Liepard and I are friends, then the bonds that we have will create a miracle!"

Her Pokémon mewls happily. Hugh's sister flashes a bright smile back. Touko watches them with a comforting warmth in her heart.

"You should have seen Hugh, Touko," Mei pitches in, coming back to a different but related topic. "Every time we would run into Team Plasma, he's always screaming about his sister's Purrloin. If I had a Pokédollar every time he spat that to a grunt's face-!"

"Hey, you have a problem with that?!" Hugh cuts her off with an anger that's beginning to simmer. "Do you want to feel my rage, Mei?"

With a bead of sweat running down the back of her head, Touko stares on as they re-engage into their dance of poking teases and fiery retorts. Hugh's sister glances at them nervously, unsure as to how to attract their attention.

"Uhh, guys?" The older trainer calls out impatiently. "Hugh, your sister wants to tell Mei something."

They snap out of it quickly. "Oh right. Completely forgot."

His sister looks up at the younger female trainer with frightened eyes. "I-I had a dream last night. Something about a huge Liepard and a girl in a white dress fighting it. It was really scary."

To Touko's surprise, instead of waving the girl's weird dream away, Mei solemnly nods, taking her words seriously. "I see. Don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for anything like that!" Seeing that Touko is continuing her trend of being out-of-touch with the things around her, the trainer from Aspertia explains, "Sometimes, she gets these dreams that predict the future. I don't know why she does, but it's amazing, isn't it?"

"_Is that...even possible?" _Touko ponders dubiously. She seems like an ordinary girl. But Mei believes her fully, and Hugh hasn't told her off for being paranoid.

"I-I guess it is. I mean, it doesn't hurt to believe her."

The little girl beams, encouraged by her words. Hugh checks the time on his electronic watch and lets out a curse under his breath. "Shoot, I have to get to Driftveil City now! Hey, you two! Can you escort my sister on her walk? She wanted to take Liepard out since it finally listens to her."

"But we have pla-!"

He's already flying away on his Unfezant before he can hear Mei's reply.

"Plans already…" she finishes lamely. The other trainer shakes her head, already feeling a headache forming. Hugh's sister is poking at the tiles on the street with her foot, abashed at her brother's conduct.

"Y-You guys don't have to follow me if you have things to do. I can always ask my mom and dad."

The unhappy pout on her face says otherwise. And, if there's one thing Touko learns today, it's that both she and Mei are weak to children.

"Cheer up now! Let's go on that walk!" Mei leans down and molds the girl's face into a smile. With another head shake, Touko acquiesces and takes the child's hand as they lead her into Route 19. The Liepard meows once and trails along gracefully.

In the back of Touko's mind, something is still nagging at her brain, refusing to be put down.

"_Wait, a girl in a white dress…?"_

"Gah-!" The shock comes unexpectedly as it grabs her mouth and shoves it open. Touko cringes as the others stare on in confusion.

"Something wrong?" Mei probes.

"Nope, nothing at all," she hastily assures. There is no way that little girl is talking about her, right?

…

So far, nothing out-of-the-blue happens to them, but, ever since entering the route, Touko is strangely tense, constantly glancing into the forest.

"Touko, you look like something's bothering you," the actress tries to press again. Touko can tell that Mei wanted to help her in any way she can. However, just the idea of exposing her alter ego is enough to keep her mouth shut. How would she react to her heroine becoming something like that?

"**_Even though_**_** I understand that we cannot tell the others of you being a Precure, I fail to see why you are so worried about your image. The outfit I have created for you is meant to present you as a true heroine."**_

"_It's just...being a Precure is embarrassing, Reshiram! It doesn't suit me at all! And there's nothing heroic about kicking giant monsters in a short skirt and heels!"_

"_**On the contrary, some people would find that even more impressive, but very well. If it allows you to continue using that power, then I will not comment any further."**_

Sometimes, Touko wonders if Reshiram is a master of guilt-tripping people. The amount of displeasure coming from its voice is so palpable, she's surprised that Mei or Hugh's sister couldn't sense it from where they are. _"Now I just sound petty. At least...give me some time to get used to it."_

Touko's musings are cut short when Mei's Xtransceiver goes off. The chorus for "Marine Tube Tunnel of Love" catches both of them off guard.

"Oh, it's Hugh. Hello? What? Ugh, this is what you get for rushing off all the time! Where exactly is it? In your room? Okay, I'll deliver it to you soon!"

Mei huffs after hanging up, flashing an apologetic smile to her idol. "I'm really sorry about this, but Hugh forgot a parcel in his room that he's supposed to bring, and now he wants me to get it for him."

"Does that mean I have to go back now?" Hugh sister's mumbles out, trading a secret glance with her Liepard. Touko's heart clenches, and she quickly responds, "No, I'll stay with you."

"Really?"

"Yep! I'm sure N can wait a bit."

"You're a lifesaver, Touko! Hugh would kill me if I left his sister alone."

With a short wave goodbye, Mei backtracks to Aspertia City. Touko and Hugh's sister resume their walk through Route 19 as Liepard mews at the gentle breeze over its purple fur.

The rest of the stroll is relatively peaceful. Aside from a few daring Patrat observing them from the tall grass, nothing approaches them. But Hugh's sister seems to be happy, judging from how she shifts her gaze from her beloved Liepard to the heroine of Unova every so often with steadily increasing admiration. Touko's guard slowly crumbles with each step back to the Aspertia gate.

"T-Thank you Touko! It really means a lot to me that I've finally met you. Mei and big brother are always talking about you," Hugh's sister says, glowing with childlike wonder. Touko reflects a smile of her own.

"I'm glad that I was able to inspire people like you and your brother. Be sure to take extra care of Liepard, okay?"

"Mmm, okay-!" Her last word is cut abruptly short. The little girl gasps and points at the tiny pack of trees next to the lake.

"T-Touko, the Pokemon, they're-!"

The heroine turns to find that the Patrat and the Purrloin are all retreating into cover. A peculiarly strong breeze ruffles Touko's ponytail and shakes the trees. A sense of dread enters her body. She draws out a Poké Ball from her sports bag.

Turning back to Hugh's sister, Touko instructs the little girl to stay close to her side.

"_**Heroine, this presence…!"**_

"Come out, Shadow Triad! I know you're there!" she provokes. At first, nothing happens, but she then hears the sound of grass being crunched under someone's feet. A moment later, a member of the Shadow Triad fazes into existence.

"Couldn't get enough from last time? No matter what you do, I will stop you." Her declaration barely fazes the silent man.

"I am here to confirm the rumors that my comrades have told me. I must see if this power you have unlocked is the same as the other one."

"_The...other one? What does he mean?"_

This Shadow evidently isn't the person they fought yesterday, but the device he reveals is exactly the same. He keeps his steady gaze on the trainer. "I'm sure you know by now that it's pointless for us to have a Pokémon battle. We don't stand a chance against the person who single-handedly defeated both Lord N and Lord Ghetsis, but with this-!"

His eyes shift to the little girl as the cold gray irises sharpen with malicious intent. Hugh's sister lets out a quiet whimper.

"Perfect! Now, come on out, Kugeki!"

The same gaping portal tears itself open above Hugh's sister and her Liepard. The wind begins to blow again. The child screams when her feet leave the ground, while her Pokémon lets out a startled growl as it too gets sucked up. Touko extends her hand up to grab her wrist, but her grip loosens immediately as if her strength is being drained.

"No!"

"Touko!"

The human and Pokémon vanish into the portal, and the sound of her cry for help still rings in the heroine's ears. A split second later, A giant leopard-like Kugeki lands gracefully beside Shadow. While the monster bears some resemblance to the Liepard Shadow used as material for the fusion, one startling difference is the number of blinking eyes littering its body. It howls a high-pitched meow, and all of its eyes strain open at the sound. A giant red bow rests on its head, housing a sleeping little girl within its center knot. A familiar purple aura coats the writhing child as she struggles to fight against it.

"L-Liepard…" Hugh's sister whimpers out. Her eyes are still slammed shut, the dark aura intensifying as she writhes within her ribbon prison. "I-It's me...don't you remember me…?"

"Ah...I see. You're the girl whose Purrloin that boy was looking for." Shadow shifts his cold gaze from the heroine to the Kugeki. "I remember stealing it six years ago. It followed my every command, despite being someone's else Pokémon. Honestly, I felt a bit sorry for it."

Touko clenches her fist. She can feel her anger bubbling, ready to burst into a violent eruption at any moment.

"And now, I will do it again. I will use this Pokémon and human to defeat you against their will. It doesn't matter what we do, so long as we bring Ghetsis back!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" she bellows out. "You use Pokémon for your own selfish gains, steal them away from their friends, and yet you feel sorry for them?! Someone like you can never understand the bonds between human and Pokémon! Not when you don't care what happens to them in the end!"

Touko tosses the luxury ball up, releasing the legendary Pokémon from its home. Once the majestic dragon is by her side, she resumes her speech.

"That girl spent months trying to get Liepard to recognize her again. Even when she felt like giving up, she didn't! She continued to reach out to Liepard's heart, believing that their bond will pull through. I won't let you tear that apart again!"

"_**Indeed, heroine! Let us show them the power that comes from that connection!"**_

"Curing Fusion Orb!"

A harsh bright light erupts under her feet again. The unknown force from before takes over her senses once more, leading her fingers to mimic the same motions that guided her to her Precure form. As she floats around with the flames, she notices that several things are different from last time. For one, a pair of tiny gold circle earrings latches onto her ears. The hair antennas on her head elongate at the same time her hair changes color, and the tips of those antennas now fade from bright orange to wispy white.

"The Heroine of Truth! Cure Flare!"

The curtain of light vanishes. Flare flexes her hands to get herself accustomed to her new powers while Reshiram lands onto her shoulder.

"_**I have added some minor changes to your transformation. It felt like it was missing a few things."**_

"_Reshiram! That just killed the mood! Now I can feel myself getting flustered again!" _Flare's whine reaches the tiny Pokémon, but it merely brushes her off with a small apologetic tap on her chin.

"_**My bad. It was not my intention. I merely wanted to inform you in case you were wondering. Since I cannot do much in this form, I wish to put as much effort as possible into your appearance."**_

"_Why exactly are you so small?"_

"_**All of my powers are inside of you now. This is merely a defense mechanism to make attacks harder to land on me."**_

"Makes sense," she mumbles under her breath.

"So it is true. You are a Precure," Shadow confirms.

"How do you know that? As far as I know, Reshiram only came up with that yesterday!" Even more questions plague Flare as she processes the eerie calmness of her enemy.

"You really don't know? There is another person who possesses the same powers as you."

"Then, how come the Shadow from yesterday looked shocked to see me like this?" she challenges, remembering the way that he struggled to comprehend what was happening. For a moment, Shadow seems contemplative, and Flare is starting to believe that this might be one giant ruse to catch her off guard.

"Perhaps he did not see the connection between your powers and hers until it was too late. Either way, now that I've seen it with my very own eyes, there's no doubt about it. You are just like her, and we must crush you for Ghetsis's sake."

"_I can't believe it. There is actually another Precure out there. And she's even using that name before we did."_

"_**Impossible. I came up with that name. And I took extra precautions to make sure no one knows. I...I have been robbed!" **_

Flare almost feels sorry for Reshiram. Almost.

"Tell me who she is," the Precure demands, though she doesn't know if it's to sate her curiosity or if it's to mark her down as "people to protect from Reshiram's wrath."

Shadow has the audacity to narrow his eyes in glee, like a puppet master staring down at his puppets. "Of course we're not going to tell you that. My comrades are already having trouble dealing with the other one. Putting the both of you together would only make our job harder."

Flare smirks back. "In that case, I'll just beat you and make you confess!"

"Not a chance. Kugeki, attack!"

His fusion screeches and pounces towards Flare with lethal speed. It first raises its claw to swipe at the Precure, and Flare hops back to dodge. She retaliates by rushing in for a kick, but the Kugeki disappears, leaving her kicking the empty air.

"Where did it…?"

A shadow spawns behind her. It slashes at her back, and the attack upsets her balance, causing her to stumble forward. She quickly shifts to a defensive stance as she is ambushed by a multitude of claw swipes.

"_I can't tell where it's going to attack from."_

"_**Anticipate which part of you it wants to strike next. Your weak points are its targets."**_

Slowly rotating in a circle, Flare endures the barrage of sneak attacks while she focuses her mind to quickly search for a pattern she can exploit. The Kugeki lands behind her again and dives in for yet another chance to break her defenses.

"_There!"_

The magical girl then jumps up to dodge its pounce...only to find that she's at least ten stories above the battlefield.

"E-eh…? Ehhhhhh?!"

"_**Flare, the wings! Use the wings!"**_

"H-How do I do that?!" The pull of gravity proves to be too much for even a magical girl, and soon enough, she's hurtling towards the ground, unable to slow down the speed of her descent. A coat of intense fire cradles the falling comet, and the Kugeki is stunned by its blinding orange light. The human meteor smacks into its back, crushing one of the many eyes trembling at the sight of impending doom.

The sound that the magical girl releases as she falls is an enigma. At first, it was a desperate scream packed with enough confusion and anxiety that Reshiram almost felt compelled to end her transformation and bring her back down to safety. When a thick layer of incandescence is created from the heat of her descent and the fire she unknowingly injects into the air, Flare must have pulled herself together enough to change that scream to a shaky battle cry.

When her boots collide with the Kugeki's back, a crater swallows a huge portion of the route, a crater so large that the tiny lake and the fence bordering the sides of the walked path all touch the circumference of the basin. She backflips off of the monster's back and lands a good distance away, never keeping her eyes off of the beast. Water trickles into the hollow, colliding with the heated surface of Flare's boots to create steam.

The Kugeki crouches as if preparing to pounce, and Flare assumes a defensive position, ready to counter the inevitable leap.

Only except it doesn't move.

In fact, it just continues to growl menacingly at the magical girl.

"_**Do not let your guard down. The Kugeki have traits of a Liepard, so it must be trying to trick you."**_

"Yeah, I know." Flare continues to wait for the Liepard fusion to attack, but after several minutes of inactivity, she grows weary. She doesn't care if it's a trap; she is going to finish this now.

"Kugeki, why aren't you doing anything?! Attack!" Shadow commands irritatedly. His monster hisses louder, as if to object to his order. It bends its back even more but ultimately does nothing more.

A bolt pierces Reshiram as it observes the state of the monster. _**"Wait, I think…"**_

"What is it?" she asks.

"_**I think you broke its back with that last attack."**_

"I-I did?" She says this like she doesn't notice the giant crater around her.

"_**Use your signature move!"**_

"Right!" Her fingers tingle as azure flames wrap around the Kugeki. Flare prepares a circle of packed fire while the blue flames dance in the air.

"Precure Blue Flare!"

The cage of waltzing embers implodes on itself. Fire sticks to the skin of the Liepard Kugeki, burning away at its malicious existence. The bow on its head is saved for last, and the Precure unleashes a beam of purifying fire to convert the monster back into Hugh's sister and her Liepard. Human and Pokémon cling to each other as the flames burn away the last of Shadow's malicious power.

Flare dashes across the crater to catch the little girl into her arms while Liepard lays next to the magical girl's feet. She turns to glare at Shadow, silently asking if this was enough for him to confirm her existence.

He merely turns around and vanishes with the wind. She heaves a heavy sigh.

"That was a bit tougher than I would have liked."

"_**Well done, Cure Flare. But...we have another problem."**_

"Hmm? What do you…?" Her fiery blue eyes widen as she finally registers the pit that they're stuck in. The color drains from her face.

"T-This crater… Was this from…?!"

Reshiram shares an uneasy frown. _**"Yes, it was from when you came crashing down…"**_

"No way! The path's completely ruined! Is there any way we can fix this?!"

"_**I do not think so. My powers do not extend to rewinding time or reverting the land. We might have to run for it, Flare. Transform back and let me get us out of here."**_

"O-Okay!" In a flash of light, the Precure sheds her magical form and reverts back to a trainer. The little girl in her arms is still asleep, unaware of what has transpired. Touko hops onto Reshiram's back and, after adjusting both Hugh's sister and Liepard so that they won't fall off, lets the Vast White Pokémon carry them out of the pit. Once at the Aspertia gate, she recalls the legendary Pokémon and releases her Samurott. Touko lays Liepard onto Ritsu's back, and together, they rush into the city.

…

The little girl groans and squints her tired eyes. She feels something nudging her on the cheek, and her head unceremoniously leans towards the touch.

"Meow!"

"L-Liepard?"

The door slams open. With harsh footsteps, Hugh rushes over to his sister's side. Next to him, Mei walks up cautiously with his parents.

"Are you okay?! Are you hurt?!" His tone is desperate, and it is obvious to everyone else in the room that he was extremely restless waiting for her to open her eyes.

"I-I'm fine, big brother. W-What happened?"

Hugh ruffles his hair. "That's what I want to know. Mei got a call from Touko saying something about you passing out, but she didn't say anything else. She sounded like she was in a rush. Anyway, after that, we came here as soon as we can."

"I-I passed out? But...I don't remember…"

"What do you mean 'you don't remember?'"

Mei places a hand on her friend's shoulder to calm him down. "Hugh, don't overwhelm her. Let her rest for a bit. She might remember something if she does." Hugh's parents take their turn to comfort their daughter, and Mei drags Hugh outside for some fresh air.

"Did Touko say anything else to you?" Judging by the skeptical undertone, he must have asked Mei this at least a few times. To further cement this, his friend releases a short groan.

"I told you already. All she told me was that your sister passed out on their walk and that she can't stay to watch over her."

He seems unhappy with her answer. "Do you think anyone else in town might have seen what happened?" A divine force must have responded to his call, for, at that moment, Cheren and Bianca are running past them at a frantic pace. The blonde assistant catches them in the corner of her eyes and calls out to them.

"G-Guys! Route 19...it's-!"

She never finishes her sentence. Her feet are already carrying her past the Pokemon Center. Hugh and Mei sneak a quick peek at each other and nod. Looks like they're going to get their answers now.

"Let's go!" they both say.

…

All four of them can't believe their eyes. The gaping crater in the middle of Route 19 stands before them as a portal to the tiny pond steadily growing at the bottom. Some of the trees are sliced down, broken at the trunk from a huge shockwave. The wild Pokémon are gone.

The aghast look on their faces is accompanied by a pair of blank white eyes. All of them are thinking the same thing.

"_H-How did we not see this happen?!"_

…

"R-Route 19 is...gone! Destroyed! Who could have done this?! And why?!"

Hugh, along with Mei, Cheren, and Bianca, is having dinner at his place to discuss the origins of the giant crater as well as any implications that comes with its formation. But so far, everyone is stumped.

That is until his little sister rushes down the stairs to join their table.

"B-Big brother!"

"Huh? What's wrong? Are you sure you should be up?"

"I-I was listening to your conversation...and I think I remembered what happened!"

In an instant, the four of them surround the little girl, hungry for her answer. Her Liepard flicks its tail to make some space between them.

"A comet fell from the sky!"

Heavy silence. A languid purr tumbles through, a sign that Liepard has snuck away to steal some of the food on the dining table.

And then...

"A-A COMET?!"

**Profile: Reshiram**

**Touko's legendary partner and the Vast White Pokémon. Reshiram is part of the Tao Trio and is a counterpart to Zekrom and Kyurem. Having been awakened by Touko's desire to create a world of truths, it now follows her on her journey to fulfill her dreams. A no-nonsense dragon, Reshiram says every word as if they are the truth, even if they're wrong. It is naturally curious about the world and holds a deep sense of duty to the place its original partner created. Reshiram's patient and wise demeanor often clashes with Touko's tomboyish tendencies, but together, they are an unstoppable duo. **

**Type: Dragon/Fire**

**Nature: Mild**

**Characteristic: Highly curious**

**Ability: Turboblaze**

**Move set: Blue Flare, Fusion Flare, Solarbeam, Dragon Pulse**


	3. Stamping Out A New Journey!

**Chapter 3: Stamping Out a New Journey! The Treasure of the Castelia Sewers!**

Today is the day that she and N can finally journey together.

Touko stretches her arms to the sky as the early morning sun sends its rays down to linger against the ocean surface. Her heart races with the gentle rocking of the boat. The quiet hum of the engine attempts to lull the trainer back into a sleepy state, but her excitement and eagerness outmatch the breathtaking scenery of the calm waves and the steady pace of the ship's engine.

The looming skyscrapers of Castelia City crawl out of the horizon as the tiny ship approaches its destination. Touko leans over the railing of the boat to get a better view of the metropolis.

"We're almost there," she states, her voice light and wispy. "I wonder what we should do first! Maybe we'll be lucky enough to get a Casteliacone, or maybe we can visit Burgh in his gym."

"_**All of them sound like valid options, but you must not forget, heroine. The true test begins now. How long can we keep N in the dark?"**_

"I was hoping you wouldn't bring that up," Touko sighs. "He's going to ask questions once we arrive, too. I didn't have enough time to explain myself yesterday."

"_**Because your call with Mei almost gave you a panic attack?"**_

"Y-Yeah…"

"_A-A comet?"_

_Mei nodded. "You are the only other person that could have seen what happened! Hugh's sister said that a comet fell and crashed into the route! Is that true?!"_

_Touko glared at the Xtransceiver screen. Her eyebrows furrowed as she recalled her recent battle as a magical girl. Her mind desperately searched for a valid excuse that fitted in with Hugh's sister's story._

"_Umm...yeah, that's right! A comet was flying towards us, and I had to use Reshiram to stop it! The result was that crater!"_

_The luxury ball on her waist shook violently. __**"Heroine! Just because I am willing to hide the truth does not mean I am going to help you lie! That is a step too far!"**_

_The older trainer covered her screen and hissed back, "Well, if you have any better ideas, you better give me one now!"_

"_Huh...is that so?" A scrutinizing pout caused Mei's cheeks to puff out. Again, Touko found herself drenched in a cold sweat. _

_To her, keeping secrets, even for the sake of people's safety, was the worst feeling in the world._

"_Is...true that...used...to stop...comet?"_

_The fractured and faint question indicated that Mei was talking to someone else, and it didn't take long for Touko to realize that she's being fact-checked. She closed her eyes and silently prayed, "Please, please! Let this be enough to convince them!"_

_A few heart-pounding seconds later, the trainer from Aspertia rejoined the video call. Touko's heart was thrashing, unable to control the tidal wave of anxiety breaking down her nerves. "I bet Colress did something again. He's been doing odd experiments lately, and I end up having to clean up his mess. Ohhhh am I going to burn one into him again! He could have seriously hurt someone!"_

_Her prayers had been answered. It took Touko most of her willpower to keep standing and finish the call._

"_Y-Yeah...anyway! I have to get up early tomorrow! I already made N wait a day, and I don't want to be late again!"_

"_Oh, that's right! I'm sorry for taking up your time! Have a safe journey and tell him I said hi!"_

"_Yeah, I'll do that."_

_She managed to steady her voice and calmly pressed the end button. Once the screen turned black, she leaned against a tree...and wailed._

"_I hate this already, Reshiram!"_

"_**That was a truly pitiful display. You are extremely lucky she magically created a reason behind the comet."**_

"I managed to call him after that, and thankfully, he took it pretty well, but I was definitely panicking when I was talking to him." Touko sighs heavily, her eyes drooping dejectedly. "I know that I have to keep this from him, but it's such a horrible feeling. N didn't hide anything from me, even when he knew that revealing who he was would make us enemies."

"_**I understand how you feel, heroine, but this is the choice that you have made. We must figure out how to stop the Shadow Triad before they are able to bring back Ghetsis." **_

"I really don't want to think about him or Team Plasma or the Shadow Triad right now. Can we drop the subject?"

"_**I suppose we can continue this later tonight. Perfect timing, too. We are almost at the pier."**_

"Really? Oh wow, you're right! And I think I see him!" At first, only a speck of white can be seen against the gray tiles of the pier. But as the ship closes in, his signature green hair comes into view, along with his hat and tan pants. N has his hand on the rim of his hat as he stares back with a bright smile.

"N!" Touko calls out, waving at him with the same glowing energy as his grin. His eyes light up, and he raises a hand to wave back.

"Let's go, everyone!" she says to her bag, where her team, minus Reshiram, is resting in. All matters relating to the Shadow Triad and magical girls are shoved to the back of her mind as she hops off the boat and dashes up to N.

"I'm sorry for making you wait. Something came up last minute that I had to take care of."

"It's no problem at all. I'd imagine that you want to spend time with your friends before heading off."

Chuckling nervously, the female trainer nods, mentally preparing herself for his inevitable probing. To her surprise, N instead turns to face the skyscrapers and then back to her like a child just raring to run wild in a new toy store.

"So what should we do first?" he asks. His eagerness slips through the cracks of his normally composed voice, and the infectious smile on his face only serves to trigger an outbreak of pleasant goosebumps on Touko's arm.

"Hmm, I don't know. I guess we can walk around first and see what's changed," she says, tapping her finger against her chin.

"Ah, that's right. It's been three years since you've last seen Unova."

"Yep. The amusement park at Nimbasa City has changed a bit, and I never knew that people lived in southwest Unova. I want to see what else is new!"

"Then I'll follow your lead, Touko," N chuckles out.

They head out of the pier onto the main street, and the two find a small crowd surrounding a clown standing on a box.

"Come one, come all! Castelia City's first-ever annual stamp rally is about to begin!" the harlequin hollers as he tosses paper around the mob of people like confetti. N catches one of the sheets and reads it aloud.

"Visit these locations and collect stamps from various people around the city. Fill out the bottom of the page with the correct stamps to win a variety of prizes, including a month's supply of berries and coupons for free Casteliacones."

"A stamp rally? Sounds like fun! Let's do it, N." The green-haired man slightly recoils when Touko steps closer to him in order to get a better look at the flyer and gently presses her arm against his chest. She catches this out of the corner of her eyes and immediately steps back.

"Oh, sorry."

"No, it's not your fault. I just…" He trails off to turn his head away. A memory briefly flashes in his mind, a girl's voice lecturing him on the complicated rules of social conduct.

"_Listen here, N! In normal circumstances, you must maintain a certain distance between you and other people. Always put space between you and her, especially if she's the one getting a bit too close."_

Meanwhile, Touko is internally panicking, wondering what in the world did she do wrong. _"I've never really thought about it, but does N not like physical contact? But he was fine with it a few days ago!"_

"_**Heroine, I do not think that is the problem."**_

"_Huh? What do you mean?"_

"I've been told that close contact with another person should be avoided when in public. Now, let's head off to the first location." N answers her unspoken question with eerie timing. He walks towards the direction of the gym, leaving behind a bewildered Touko.

"What...did he just say?" she gasps. Her mouth continues to hang open.

"_Did I just get passively scolded by the most socially inept person I know?!"_

From within its luxury ball, Reshiram observes the former king with a dubious glare.

"_**...Who is this person that told N this? Do I need to add that person to my interrogation list along with that crook who stole my idea?"**_

…

"COLRESS!"

The abrupt shriek of his name causes the normally composed scientist to jump. His hands fumble with the device he's holding, and it drops to the floor with a cacophonic ping.

"Ah, Mei. What a pleasant surprise-!"

"I don't know what experiment you're working on today, but you need to stop it now! Thanks to you, Route 19 is gone!"

His default guilty grin dissolves away at her latest accusation. "Huh? What are you talking about?"

The frown on her face sours. "Playing dumb again? You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Heaving a weary sigh, Colress feels a light throbbing in his head from her explosive tone.

"And what evidence do you have that points to me being the culprit?"

As if practiced to the point of becoming a habit, Mei heads towards the giant monitor at the end of the room and scrolls through her Xtransceiver while Colress plugs in her electronic watch into the giant monitor in his laboratory. Once she has found the incriminating evidence, she again asserts her allegation, complete with a grand gesture towards the pictures she has brought up. Normally, Colress would relent with a guilty grin and a half-hearted shrug, nodding twice as he coincidentally remembers what experiment he was working on that day.

Except this time, he doesn't bob his head. For the first time since they've started this strange routine, he looks genuinely confused and very, very intrigued.

"Do you see what I mean?" the young trainer scolds. "I can't even begin to imagine what kind of experiment would lead to a comet falling out of the sky!"

As she rants, Colress scrutinizes the image silently, attempting to piece together the events that led to this devastating disaster. The shape of the crater catches his attention, particularly at the bottom where the tiny pond sits calmly, slowly growing in size.

"You said that a comet fell, right?"

"Yeah, that's what I've been saying."

"There are several things wrong with that hypothesis."

He points to the tiny lake. "From this image, it looks like there's a pit inside the crater. Usually, when meteors hit the ground, the bottom of the crater would actually incline." To prove his point, he brings up several pictures of the meteorites in Veilstone City. Drawing her attention to the middle of the hollow, Colress resumes his explanation. "Now you said that your friend had to use her Pokémon to stop it, but I do not see how that is feasible with the shape of this crater and the information that I am given. Not to mention that there isn't a meteor in sight."

With a few taps on the keyboard attached to his arm, he is able to draw up a simulation of what Mei has told him. "Do you happen to know what Pokémon your friend was using?"

The trainer hesitates. Colress has never met Touko before, but even he would know about the hero who stopped Team Plasma the first time around.

"_Oh well, he'll know soon enough. If not by me telling him, then by one of the grunts spotting them on their journey."_

"She was using Reshiram."

He instantly stops typing. "R-Reshiram? Wait, are you saying that your friend is…?"

She can see that he's trying to process this unexpected piece of information. Then, he flashes a sinister grin to the floor, his eyes concealed behind the glint of his glasses.

"Mei, I thought that your accusation was baseless, but now, there's really no logic behind it."

"W-What do you mean?"

He pulls up the image of the Route 19 crater again and turns to her with that calculating smirk. "From observing the way you and Zekrom fight, I've learned that it prefers using physical attacks. If Reshiram is Zekrom's opposite, then the most likely inference you can draw is that Reshiram prefers using special attacks. In short, attacking from a long distance. I'm sure that its trainer would know that, too."

Another simulation pops up onto the big screen. This time, it's an animation of a chibi Reshiram firing a stream of fire at the "comet."

"Even with the force of its attack, it isn't likely that Reshiram is able to create this crater from its position. Even flying up to intercept the meteor wouldn't have resulted in what we see unless Reshiram actually took the hit."

The sparkle in his eyes only intensifies. Mei finds herself overwhelmed by his logic.

"In fact," he concludes, "It does look like something was being pushed down into the ground. But a competent trainer like the famed heroine of Unova simply wouldn't let her Pokémon, much less the legendary Pokémon, take the hit, now would she? If anything, the person that created the crater was fully aware that she was doing so."

He flashes a humble smile at the dumbfounded trainer. "Am I wrong?"

…

"_**Is there something wrong, heroine? That was a rather violent shiver."**_

Touko, still recovering from the unexpected onslaught of tremors that had invaded her body a few minutes ago, wheezes out a nervous chuckle. "I-I feel like someone just dissected me."

"_**Hmm, that is rather odd. As far as I know, there is no reason to feel that way."**_

"I hope it's just my imagination, too."

The female trainer enters the most crowded street of the city, Gym Street, and finds N in front of the gym staring at the logo. He appears to be deep in his thoughts.

"N?"

"Oh, Touko...sorry for leaving you behind," he apologizes quietly. "Shall we head in? There was a crowd earlier, so I decided to wait until they were gone."

Passing through the open glass doors, the two travelers are transported to a realm of sheer white. Touko gasps at the amount of empty space the gym has now compared to the last time she was here. N mimics her reaction as they take in the blinding white room. Trails of silky thread line the walls and ceilings, and some are attached to several chambers, which are also made from the same material. Channels weaved in and out of the many floors of the gym, serving as the mechanism for reaching the gym leader's room.

"Wow, talk about a makeover," she mutters.

"It feels more like a blank canvas to me," he replies back with the same awed tone.

"Hello, are you guys here for the stamp rally?" A clown asks, walking up to them while juggling three red Poke Balls.

They blink in unison. "Y-Yes, that's right," Touko finally answers for the both of them.

"Well then, come this way! Usually, challengers would have to navigate our webby maze, but for visitors like you, we have set up an alternate path!"

He leads them to a chamber at the top left corner of the room. "Just take this and the gym leader will be in the next room."

Touko peeks her head inside of the strange chamber. The moment she inserts half of her body inside, a strong vacuum from above sucks her up the thin silky channel.

"A-Ahhhh!"

"Touko! W-Woah!"

…

Burgh should have prepared himself for the inevitable onslaught of surprised cries and panicked screams.

Granted, he has his gym set up like this for a year now. When the city mayor decided to host this stamp rally in order to draw in more tourists, he expected an easy time where he'll just be handing out stamps with maybe a gym battle in between to entertain the masses.

Instead, all he's been giving out are apologies. Many, many apologies.

"A-Ahhhh!"

"_And there's another one…"_ He grimaces as yet another shriek travels up to his chamber. The gym leader turns from his canvas to greet his latest visitor...and finds a pleasant surprise. From the hole in the floor, a familiar trainer springs forth. She lands on her feet, but the slippery floor catches her off-guard, and soon, she's wobbling backward, in danger of falling back into the pit.

"_Oh no!" _The trainer and gym leader simultaneously think. Touko closes her eyes instinctively, bracing herself for another trip down the pipe-except her descent is halted abruptly. She feels a pair of hands on both of her shoulders pushing her upright. A puff of air bats itself against her ponytail. Another faint splash echoes across the mostly barren room.

"Touko, are you alright?"

"Y-Yeah," she exhales, fully conscious of his hands cradling her shoulders. The heat from his palms invades her skin and creeps up her bloodstream to her cheeks. His hands are firm, supportive.

"_Stop it, Touko. Don't you dare go there! I need to know him as a friend first! Besides...my feelings aren't strong enough to be the truth yet. It's still too early."_

She can feel Reshiram judging her from within its luxury ball. Oblivious to her internal struggle, N quickly retracts his touch to adjust his cap, a valiant effort to follow the words that his friend had drilled into him.

"Well, this is quite the surprise," Burgh blurts out. Both trainers snap their heads to the gym leader. "I didn't think that you two, of all people, would be paying a visit. Had I known, I would have renovated more."

"Burgh, your gym is a safety hazard!" she scolds, planting both of her hands on her hips. "I could have been seriously hurt. I'll take wrestling with walls made of honey over whatever this is!"

"But this is my latest masterpiece! It's meant to display the simplicity and versatility of a Sewaddle's web!"

"And this room?" Touko gestures to the flooded rainbow-colored floor and the crooked gym sign. Burgh cringes.

"Y-You got me there. So I'm assuming you're here for the stamp rally? Can I see your flyer?"

N wordlessly hands the sheet of paper over to the gym leader. Burgh pulls out a green ink stamp with a handle shaped like Leavanny.

"These stamps are actually created by me. I made a collection of them some time ago and never found the chance to use them. Okay, take this Leavanny stamp courtesy of Castelia City!"

He makes a show out of pressing the ink stamp to the paper by twirling the device between his fingers before expertly fitting the stamp onto the correct box. Once the image of the bug Pokémon is printed neatly onto the flyer, Burgh hands it back to N, who's staring at the ink curiously.

"This Leavanny..."

"Ah, yes, one of my more successful endeavors. My goal here was to capture the essence of Leavanny in a small neat package."

"It's very well done. The message that this Leavanny wants to convey...it's very clear to me."

"Well, I'm glad you like it! Hearing positive feedback is always a good thing."

From the sides, Touko flashes a small smile, basking in the warm feeling surging through her blood at the light-hearted interaction.

"Enjoy the rest of the stamp rally, you two! And uhh...be careful on the way down."

"..."

"..."

"...You should go first, N."

"Yes, maybe I should."

…

After exiting the gym, Touko and N quickly secure the next six stamps without much incident. They passed by Cafe Sonata, where the guitarist inside, after handing over a stamp of a Kricketune, tells them of his encounter with the fabled Meloetta. Studio Castelia has shifted from displaying paintings of the legendary dragons to displaying other kinds of motifs.

The moment their momentum began to slow down was when N immersed himself in a conversation with the young CEO of the Battle Company about a device that can allow humans to communicate with Pokémon. They could have gone on for hours if the CEO's father hadn't walked in and reminded the green-haired man that the stamp rally is a one-day event, and that they only have four out of the eight stamps required.

And then...there was the infamous long line at the Casteliacone stand.

"I must have been there for hours!" Touko whines, angrily biting down on her ice-cream cone. N, on the other hand, scoops a tiny portion of his frozen treat and savors the sweetness that permeates his mouth.

"It's sweet...and tart. Two different flavors in one. What is the hidden formula that makes this work?"

"That's a trade secret, N. If everyone knew how to make Casteliacones, then they won't be a specialty anymore."

"Is that so? It seems like a waste, not sharing the secret to its success to the world."

Touko pulls out a cheeky smile. "But that's part of the appeal! It's like meeting a mythical Pokémon. That feeling that flows inside of you when you get to experience something that can only happen once-in-a-lifetime...I bet the creators of the Casteliacone probably wanted to recreate that feeling every time someone buys their ice-cream. And they're doing a great job because this tastes so good!" To further cement her point, she takes another large bite out of her cone.

"I see," N mumbles out. "Have you ever met a mythical Pokémon, Touko?"

"I have."

The quick response catches him off-guard. "You have?"

"Yep. In fact, I think it was early on in my journey that I encountered one."

Her eyes are drawn to the far right pier. N follows her gaze.

"After I got Bianca's Munna back from Team Plasma, I received a ticket to Liberty Garden. When I got there, there was a group of Team Plasma grunts who wanted to use Victini's power to liberate Pokémon. Of course, I beat each and every one of them, and in the end, Victini decided that it wanted to travel with me."

"Victini, the mythical Pokémon said to bestow victory onto the trainer that befriends it." A bittersweet smile forms on his face. "I really didn't stand a chance, did I?"

"N…"

"Whatever happened to Victini?" he questions.

"Well, I actually didn't capture Victini. I let it follow me around for a while, but in the end, Victini set off to explore the world. It had been trapped in that lighthouse for a very long time, after all."

She turns her eyes away from Liberty Pier. "I hope that Victini is okay. I know that we'll meet again someday, but I still can't help but worry about it."

"Your wish to see Victini again...I'm sure that it will reach Victini's heart."

With the conversation over, the two trainers let their feet drag them around the city aimlessly as they finish the rest of their ice cream cones. A brief moment of comfortable silence hangs over them.

"So where do we need to go next?" Touko eventually asks.

He unfolds the stamp flyer to its full size. "The last stamp is in the Castelia Sewers."

"...Excuse me?" Incredulous, dumbfounded, disgusted. All these can be used to describe how Touko spat out those two words.

"The Castelia Sewers. Apparently, we're supposed to find a treasure that will lead us to the last stamp. A treasure...I wonder what it could be."

Unlike N, Touko isn't too thrilled that she has to venture through Castelia's underground pipeline system. Already, she feels her eye twitching at the thought of navigating through dirty water and sewage waste.

"Let's get this over with. Here's hoping that the prize we get at the end of this is worth it."

_BOOM!_

The sound of an explosion followed by the screams of terrified people radiates throughout the city. Suddenly, there's chaos. People coming from Thumb Pier are fleeing for their lives. Some of them are completely drenched, suggesting that they either fell into the ocean, or they were exploring the sewers at the time of the attack.

"Touko, let's hurry," N urges, already running in the direction of the tiny pier.

She purses her lips and breaks into a sprint. The luxury ball attached to her waist rumbles faintly.

"_**Be careful, heroine. I have a bad feeling about this."**_

…

When Touko finally catches up to N, she finds him arguing with a construction worker blocking the entrance to the sewers.

"Let me through! I can hear the Pokémon crying out for help!"

"W-We're currently trying to investigate the situation, sir. It's too dangerous to go down there right now!"

He turns his head away in frustration, but when he spots Touko in the corner of his eyes, some of that frustration evaporates away.

"He's refusing to let anyone in. And the cries of the Pokémon inside...it pains me to stand here idly while they're in danger."

She takes a deep breath. Usually, this would lead to a Pokémon battle, but battling at a time like this when they're only doing their job seems unfair to her. Instead, she walks up to the worker and attempts to make a compromise.

"I have a water Pokémon that can help out. Can you let us in? We can focus on rescuing the Pokémon while you guys investigate the attack."

The worker hesitantly shifts his gaze between them. Ultimately, the passionate fire in both of their eyes overwhelms him, and he steps to the side in order to open the way into the sewers. But before she can place a foot onto the stairway, he gives them a warning.

"Right now, almost the entirety of the underground is flooded. A Pokémon with Surf is probably needed to navigate around."

N flinches as he digs into his pockets. He pulls out two Poke Balls and glances at them solemnly. Touko widens her eyes slightly.

"My friends that are with me cannot use Surf…"

He hears another plead for help. Slamming his eyes shut, he grimaces, as if their pain is his own. Her heart beats faster, pushing her to hurry and wipe that look off of his face.

"Go, Touko. I'll stay here and escort the evacuated Pokémon to the Pokémon Center. Please be careful."

She nods firmly. "I will."

…

It was just as the worker said: two-thirds of the way down the stairs, Touko finds her boots submerged underwater. She scans the area for any immediate danger, but the sewers are eerily quiet. Several brown boxes float aimlessly on the water surface. Most of the walkways are inaccessible, leaving only the drifting brown boxes and the rooftops of the research facilities as the only source of solid ground.

"Ritsu, let's go!"

The Formidable Pokémon growls out his signature battle cry as he's released from his Poké Ball. After hopping onto his back, the heroine ventures further inside.

"What do you think that explosion was, Reshiram?"

"_**I believe that the sound we heard is not an explosion but a flood crashing into the area. With such a damp environment, an explosion would have been impossible to detonate."**_

"I don't see any stranded Pokémon. Could some of them be underwater?"

"_**Let's send Samurott to investigate."**_

"Ritsu, drop me off at that building," she says to her starter, pointing to one of few gray rooftops. "I need you to search for any Pokémon that are trapped underwater."

With a compliant grunt, the Samurott escorts his trainer to solid ground before diving down deep to begin his rescue operation.

The silence is haunting. The tiny _tsk _Touko unknowingly releases seem to bounce around the cramped tunnel. No one is here. No construction workers. No researchers. No Pokémon.

"This...This might have been a trap," she reluctantly concludes. "Or a distraction."

"_...Wait, what's that sound?"_

Behind her, a large shadow quickly overshadows her body. The roar of rushing water invades her ears. She looks up.

"E-Ehhhhhh?!"

A giant tsunami with a gaping mouth is ready to pounce onto the trainer. Trapped underneath its watery depths are several researchers and construction workers, confined in individual air bubbles. Each bubbly prison is coated with dark energy, which seems to be feeding the rapidly growing tidal wave.

Desperate to escape, Touko makes a mad dash towards the building to her left, leaping with all of her strength across the rather wide gap. The wave crashes into the submerged research center and melts away the cement roof.

"The wave just...dissolved the building," she breathes out.

Acid. That tsunami is made out of acid. Highly potent acid. The water begins to rampage, the currents swirling violently around the building that Touko is stuck on.

"Ritsu! Ritsu!" She frantically hollers for her starter Pokémon. Her stomach drops when she spots her Samurott frantically outrunning the wave of acid that's chasing it. He heaves himself onto the metal roof just before the purple liquid can touch his tail.

"I'm so sorry, Ritsu. Here, return." With a beam of red light, the water Pokémon retreats back into his Poke Ball.

"_**Heroine, that wave...it carries the same aura as a Kugeki."**_

"_So it was a trap. If that's the case, where's the Shadow Triad?"_

"_**There is no time to think about that. We need to purify the Kugeki and return everyone back to normal."**_

Touko unhooks the luxury ball from her hips. _"I hope no one hears me…"_

"Curing Fusion Orb!"

Light bursts onto the scene, flooding the dark hallways of the sewers with its radiance. Her transformation only takes a few seconds, but the Kugeki can feel the intense power coming from the orange pillar.

Touko, on the other hand, finds that the motions are starting to imbue themselves into her muscle memory. Floating around with the flames comforts her instead of confusing her.

"The Heroine of Truth, Cure Flare!"

She pronounces her Precure form with the same amount of determination as when she first transformed, but the underlying embarrassment present before is noticeably diminished. Reshiram, now in its shrunken state, nods approvingly as if proud of the unbridled confidence its partner is exuding. Flare takes an offensive position, preparing herself to engage with the enemy.

"_**I see that you are starting to get used to this. Now let us defeat the Kugeki and-!"**_

Reshiram doesn't get to finish its sentence. The wave descends upon them. Touko bites her lips. She drags her left foot to the side. A clenched fist full of fire.

A heel turn.

A sudden gasp. The fire is extinguished. Her right foot pushes off the steel roof. The roar of turbulent water intensifies the storm of violent waves all around her.

She flees.

"_**Flare, where are you going?!"**_

The Precure fumbles with her response as she frantically tries to outrun the tidal wave. "I-I just...realized that...the Kugeki is made of water and poison...and I'm a magical girl...with fire as her element!"

To further accent just how dire of a situation she finds herself in, the swirling pool of water and poison begins to rise, threatening to not only swallow the last remaining stretches of solid steel but also to escape out the entrance and pollute the ocean. The fused monster is now adamant on drowning the magical girl beneath its toxic depths.

"_I-I have to think of something, but what can I do?! Punching my way out isn't going to work, and I don't know how to properly fly! At this rate-!"_

Flare scans the flooded area for anything that can give her the chance to turn things around. She continues to hop from platform to platform until she's stuck on the last steel rooftop in the sewers.

"T-There's nowhere I can go!"

Her back is to a metaphorical wall. The water soaks the bottom of her white boots. The Kugeki, with its gaping mouth, is preparing to pounce as it drains even more dark energy from its captives.

"_**Flare, I may have an idea."**_

"W-What is it?"

"_**Since all of my powers are inside of you now, I believe that includes any moves that I may know. For example, your signature attack is Precure Blue Flare, a move that is based on my Blue Flare. If this is true, then you should be able to use my other moves."**_

"I see. Your other moves are Fusion Flare, which won't do much, Dragon Pulse, and…"

Her eyes bulge. "Solarbeam!"

"_**Yes, if we are able to use Solarbeam, it might be enough to defeat the Kugeki!"**_

Despite finding a solution to her dilemma, the Precure is still frowning. "But doesn't that take a while to charge up? There's barely any light down here, and the Kugeki isn't going to wait for us to eliminate it."

Instead of providing its much-needed guidance, Reshiram simply leaves her shoulder to fly down to the bag attached to her lower back. It digs around for a certain net ball and brings it to Flare's hands. She finally understands what the legendary Pokémon is trying to tell her.

"_**You are not alone, Flare. Even though you may be the one fighting now, your friends will always be there to lend a hand."**_

Flashing a grateful smile, she tosses the net ball up and calls out to the Pokémon inside.

"Scoria, I need your help!"

A blob coated with blue light materializes to Flare's side, taking the shape of a large centipede that can stand upright. From its head sprouts two large horns capable of delivering a flurry of jabs in rapid succession. A pair of identical horns extends from its rear, serving as its tails. The light shatters, and a Scolipede glares defiantly at whoever she's supposed to oppose.

That hostile stance swiftly falls apart when she takes in the altered form of her trainer. Her bewildered yellow eyes switch between Flare and the swirling pit of water they find themselves in. Then the sparkles erupt from her pupils. A dazzled aura flickers around the Scolipede's head as she grunts out an excited cheer.

Despite herself, Flare's cheeks burst into flames. Not literally, but close enough.

"R-Reshiram and I can explain everything later!" the magical girl sputters. "Right now, I need you to use Sunny Day!"

The Megapede Pokémon snaps out of it quickly. She creates a small orb of light and shoots it to the ceiling of the sewers. A curtain of solar rays falls onto the Precure, and the intense glow blinds the Kugeki, slowing down its aggression.

"Thank you, Scoria," she says. "Now stay back. Let me finish this."

The glitter in the bug Pokemon's eyes is back. There's no doubt that she's eager to experience a magical girl's ultimate technique before her very eyes, just like in the TV show that she and the rest of Flare's team enjoy watching.

Flare inhales deeply.

"_**Let the energy flow into you. Don't hold back."**_

The magical girl begins to glow with a scorching light. Many orbs of solar energy are absorbed into her body, fueling the massive attack that she will unleash. The water swirls around her, almost in pain. The Kugeki struggles to maintain its form, its gaping mouth expanding down wide enough to swallow the building Flare is standing on.

Like her signature attack, she draws a circle in front of her chest using the light she has soaked up as her ink. Flare withdraws her hand as a surge of pure energy travels up her arms. In a burst of desperation, the giant wave monster pushes itself up and out of the stormy waters.

"Precure...Solarbeam Flare!"

She flicks her hand out, and a massive beam of light devours the darkness. All she can see is a field of intense white radiance. The Kugeki is instantly vaporized, unable to even shriek as the powerful beam dissolves its dark aura and separates the human captives from the hoard of Grimer and Muk that they were fused with.

"_**It worked! So my theory was correct."**_

"Reshiram, we have another problem!" the magical girl shouts over the concentrated attack. The legendary Pokémon turns its stern gaze up to face its partner.

"_**What is it?"**_

"I-I can't stop this Solarbeam!"

"_**...Oh. Oh dear." **_

And in the midst of the chaos, the Scolipede continues to stare on, hypnotized by how cool her trainer is.

…

N is sure that the amount of worry he's feeling at that moment is unnatural. Irrational.

It all starts when the voices of the distressed Pokémon suddenly vanish. While his heart is no longer twisting in pain at their cries, the lack thereof is another poison, silent yet just as lethal. He wonders if Touko has already reached them, but his hopes are quickly dashed when nothing climbs out of the sewers for several long minutes. Then he hears the waters below sloshing violently, raging like a frenzied Gyarados.

At that point, the dread surging through his blood temporarily overwhelms his analytical mind, and by the time he realizes what he's doing, his feet have dragged him five steps down the stairs.

"_What am I doing? Touko is more than capable of handling the situation. I need to trust her. As it stands, I will only get in her way."_

It doesn't placate the rapid beating of his heart, the dreadful pit in his stomach. He retreats back to the pier.

He has felt this way before, this feeling of helplessness. While not as intense as in the past, N finds himself recalling back to a time when his world was shattered, when his ideals were ripped apart, and when his heart was broken by the man who clearly did not think of him as anything other than inhuman. A tool. Back to when even though he had Zekrom by his side, he could not do anything except beg a random trainer for help.

And then, as if Touko is standing next to him, extending a hand out to bring him back from the depths of despair, a powerful beam of light, of hope, shoots out towards the sun.

A muted gasp escapes his lips. He marvels at the unwavering strength of the Solarbeam as it soars across the sky. The ray of light never flickers, even when the attack concludes and the sound of the sea crashing into the pier is the only thing he can hear.

"That was...that has to be Touko's doing!" he finally concludes to himself. N peers down into the depths of the sewers, contemplating if he should enter to regroup with Touko or if he should wait for her on the pier like he said he would.

The steady beats of someone walking up the stairs grab his attention. From the dark abyss, the silhouette of a familiar trainer takes shape, wearing a shaky grin.

"Phew...glad that's over with," Touko announces, chuckling nervously as she rejoins a stunned N.

There are so many things he wanted to ask. What was that beam of light? Are the Pokémon okay? What was the source of the explosion?

But before he can say anything, Touko gestures to his pockets, where the flyer for the stamp rally lies.

"Come on, N! There's something that you need to see!"

…

"I see. So that explosion was actually a sudden influx of water, and since they wouldn't make it to the entrance in time, the Pokémon were instead evacuated to a secret section of the sewers, which is where we are headed to now."

"That's the gist of it," Touko confirms his recap of her explanation.

"Then how about that Solarbeam? Was that from you?"

"A-Ahh…" she hesitates for a moment. "T-That was Reshiram! I uhh...I had to…T-The ones who let the water in needed to be taught a lesson! Y-Yeah!"

"_**Heroine, what did I say about using me as your excuse?"**_

"_I-I panicked again, okay?!"_

"Using Reshiram is a bit much, don't you think?" N further probes.

Touko manages to compose herself enough to huff. "Well, what they did was dangerous. They could have drowned the people working down here or the other Pokémon who can't live underwater. And it wasn't like they were making it easy for me to apprehend them."

"And your answer was to fire a Solarbeam at them?" He seems to be clinging onto that specific fact. The female trainer looks away, avoiding his interrogative eyes.

"Y-Yeah, that's right."

He hums, mulling over an unspoken thought. Touko's heart races faster. Sweat coats the palms of her hands.

"_How many prayers do I have to make before this whole thing blows up in my face?"_

"Ah, Touko, was it?" One of the women in a lab coat calls out, ending their conversation prematurely. Touko struggles to hide the immense relief she feels as she and N quickly circle around the narrow passage of water to meet up with the scientists.

"Yes, that's me," the female trainer responds. N gazes upon the melted buildings and groups of shivering Pokémon with a pained frown.

"This is terrible. Why would anyone do such a thing?"

The scientist lifts her glasses. "We don't know either. Right now, we're trying to investigate if anything else is damaged from the flood along with treating the injured Pokémon. In the meantime, we have closed off the sewers until the situation is resolved. Oh, but since you were such a big help, I can let you enter the park and grab your last stamp."

Touko's nod is short and stiff. "T-Thank you. I hope your investigation goes well."

The female researcher continues on as if she doesn't see Touko's discomfort. "Still, I'm drawing a massive blank about this entire incident. I can't seem to remember exactly what happened. On top of that, the perpetrators got away."

She catches the tense frowns on their faces. "Oh, don't worry about us. We'll make sure that everything gets taken care of," she assures them. The two share a quick glance at each other.

"Actually, N here knows a lot about Pokémon. He can help you treat the injured Pokémon, right?" Touko nudges the former king with her elbow, sending him a not-so-subtle wink. Something warm surges through his blood from her suggestion.

"Yes, that's right. Since I couldn't do anything for them a while ago, I would like to make sure that my friends are okay."

The scientist offers no objection. "Well, if that's the case, then we appreciate the help. Come this way."

Before he trails after the female researcher, N beams at the heroine.

"Thank you, Touko. I'll be back soon!"

She finds it hard to suppress the giddiness bubbling in her heart at the elated expression on his face.

"_His smile is so bright and innocent. I hope that it stays that way."_

…

N keeps his word, coming back to Touko's side once Nurse Joy arrives at the scene. Despite the short time he had to inspect the harmed Pokémon, he seems to be satisfied with his work.

"So the park that you mentioned is up these stairs?"

"Yep! You're going to like what you see!"

They walk up the steps together. When they reach the surface, a twinkle in N's gray eyes emerges.

The space is definitely too small to be called a park, and a more fitting word to him for this place is a sanctuary. The tall skyscrapers of Castelia City act as a barrier for the tiny patch of green life. Wild Pokémon, from Buneary to Cottonee to Eevee, playfully dash around the giant tree in the center of the park. The tree itself is a sight to behold. Vibrant green leaves sway with the wind as several Rattata climb up its strong branches. It looms over the tall grass, serving as the protector of this sanctuary.

"I didn't expect such a place to exist here," N whispers, his voice muted with awe. "So this is the treasure of the Castelia Sewers."

"It's a great treasure, don't you think?" Touko asks him with a gentle grin.

He returns her smile. "Yes, it is."

At the back corner, a middle-aged man stares on lazily at the pair of trainers. As the former king admires the picturesque view of nature blooming in a sea of stiff steel, Touko takes the stamp rally flyer from N's possession and walks up to the veteran, handing him the crumpled paper.

"You guys are in the stamp rally? Alright, take this last stamp."

Drawing a rubber stamp from his pockets, he daintily presses an image of a Grimer onto the flyer. Touko thanks the stranger and holds the paper up triumphantly.

"We're finally done!" she exclaims. Her enthusiasm is contagious, and N cheers along with her, finding that her glowing smile is the missing piece that completes this hidden paradise.

"Let's go turn this in, N!"

"Actually, can we stay here for a while? I want to enjoy the view a bit more."

Touko doesn't catch the subtle double meaning behind his words, a meaning lost even on him. With a slightly exasperated sigh, she says, "Okay, but we're getting our prize before the sun goes down."

They end up getting a box full of rare berries and a limited edition rubber stamp of the Venipede evolution line.

...

Night descends onto the metropolis.

The bustle of the city has died down significantly, especially after hosting such a large event. And yet, down in the depths of the dark, damp sewers, a single light flashes radiantly.

Flare exhales softly as her transformation concludes. She opens her eyes slowly as she awaits judgment from her team, who are all released from their Poke Balls.

Her Lilligant is the first to react. The flowery human-like Pokémon marvels at the magical girl, clutching her leafy arms to her chest like a schoolgirl suppressing a squeal. Ritsu and her Zebstrika, Pele, are the most shocked out of the bunch. Meanwhile, Valyn the Vanilluxe glances up at Scoria, more interested in the Scolipede's more subdued awe.

"W-Well, as you can see, I'm a magical girl. A Precure to be precise. I'm able to use Reshiram's power as my own."

Lillil spins around and squeaks several times, presumably overjoyed that her hard work with the legendary Pokémon has finally paid off. The rest of the team are aghast at the revelation. It looks like they, just like their trainer, were unaware of their late-night research. The Lilligant giggles as she twirls, cheering like a child who has won a year-supply of candy.

"_**Everyone, as much as this excites you all," **_Reshiram says in an all too serious tone, ignoring the open mouths of its teammates,_** "There is a legitimate reason as to why I have allowed Flare to wield my power."**_

Flare wheezes out a small cough when they stare on in confusion. "Team Plasma is back again. Well, not exactly Team Plasma." At the mention of the criminal team responsible for attempting to separate them from their beloved trainer, they all snarl intimidatingly.

"The Shadow Triad...you remember them, right? They're trying to bring Ghetsis back. And they're doing so by fusing people and Pokémon together."

Reshiram growls to its Pokémon teammates in order to join the conversation. _**"We do not know how fusing them together will help them achieve their goal in restoring Ghetsis, but what we do know is that normal Pokémon attacks will not work against this new power that the Shadow Triad have. As of this moment, only Flare and another unknown Precure have the ability to defeat this new threat."**_

"So in short," Flare picks up, finishing Reshiram's explanation, "Our goals are to stop the Shadow Triad, find this other Precure and team up with her, and keep this a secret from everyone else."

Her Pokémon eye each other, their expressions unreadable. Flare, with her head down, tries to justify herself.

"I know that lying is probably the last thing you guys want to do, but out of all the choices that I have, this is the right one. Until we stop them or find another way to fight, I don't want to-!"

She is cut off by Ritsu's grunting. Her eyes meet the sharp glint twinkling in the Samurott's orange pupils, a sparkle shared by the rest of her team.

"Everyone…" the Precure sighs in relief.

"_**They have known you for a long time now. There is no need to explain yourself." **_Reshiram says, nodding at the bonds shared between her Pokémon and their trainer. _**"We are here to assist you, Flare. You only need to command us."**_

To punctuate Reshiram's point, her team huddles up to her body and nuzzles her. Flare relaxes in their comforting presence, a warm smile spreading her lips.

"You guys are the best."

...

A brown-haired trainer with a visor lands at the entrance of the Pokémon Center. She recalls her Swanna after giving her several pats on her head. Her handbag vibrates, shaking against the side of her body.

"_**It is inconceivable that Reshiram would let its hero lie about something so drastic. Who does that scientist think he is, slandering what Reshiram stands for?"**_

"I don't fully believe him either, Zekrom, but he did point out something very fishy about all this. Either way, I think the best course of action is to trail them until we can confidently confirm that she's hiding something."

"_**That might be best. I, too, want to erase this doubt from my heart."**_

Mei holds a confident smirk as if challenging the other heroine to a game of wits.

"...Zekrom, you know what this means, right?"

"_**No, I do not."**_

"It means…" she explains, drawing out the "e" sound, "that I'm finally going to see Touko and N's relationship firsthand! Oh, this is a dream come true! Two Pidove with one stone! Will they get together? Or will their past get in the way? Maybe the training I made N go through will sweep her right off of her feet!"

Zekrom can only sigh. _**"I hope she does not forget why we are here in the first place…"**_

**Profile: Scoria**

**Scoria is a Scolipede that Touko met at Pinwheel Forest back when she was a Venipede. She joined Touko's team shortly after the trainer drove out Team Plasma from the forest. The bug and poison type Pokémon can get easily distracted, especially if something she likes catches her interest. As a result, Scoria is one of Touko's more difficult Pokémon to train, but when push comes to shove, the Scolipede always pull through for her trainer.**

**Gender: Female**

**Type: Bug/Poison**

**Nature: Bold**

**Characteristic: Scatter things often**

**Ability: Swarm**

**Move set: X-Scissor, Poison Jab, Sunny Day, Baton Pass**


	4. Cure Flare's New Accomplices!

**Chapter 4: Cheren and Bianca! Cure Flare's New Accomplices! **

_The next day..._

Alder sits on the carpeted floor of his rustic home, his legs crisscrossed and his arms folded against his poncho. His shoulders sag, a clear indication of fatigue. The two students that are under his mentorship are enjoying a battle outside, which gives him a moment of solitude to sort out his jumbled thoughts.

"_I wish I didn't have to spend so much time dealing with the authorities. I never did find out if Bianca was saved from being that monstrosity. Not to mention that I haven't seen Touko since that day. Is she alright?"_

"Alder, you have visitors!" His female student shouts as she rushes into the church-like house. The former champion picks himself up and dusts off his white pants.

"Oh, I wonder who they could be." The door opens behind the student, revealing two familiar faces.

"Excuse me, Alder," Cheren greets. "We need to discuss something with you."

Bianca, in contrast to the teacher's blunt request, starts small talk with the older man. "Oh, Alder! I'm so glad you're okay! I'm sorry that I haven't stopped by."

"Cheren! And B-Bianca, you're back to normal!" the older man blurts out.

"Huh? What do you mean by that? I'm always like this, right Cheren?" She turns to her childhood friend, who only grunts as his response.

"Anyway," the gym leader refocuses on the topic at hand. "I would like to ask you about the events surrounding Bianca's kidnapping. Touko has been unusually dodgy about the entire thing, and Bianca informed me that you were also there when it happened."

"So Touko is okay. That's a relief," he mumbles under his breath. Alder's mind whirls as he paces back and forth.

"I was there, yes, but I did not see how exactly Touko saved Bianca."

The blonde assistant's peppy smile vanishes. "She refuses to tell me anything, only that she rescued me. At first, I thought she beat the Shadow Triad in a Pokémon battle-!"

"Wait, you were kidnapped by the Shadow Triad?! That's not what you said before, Bianca!" Cheren snaps at her. She flinches, clasping her hands together apologetically.

"I-I'm sorry!"

"Does this mean that Team Plasma is trying to make yet another comeback? Is that what Touko is hiding from us…?" Despite how furious he feels, Cheren is starting to see why his friend is apprehensive about the subject. She has always been one to carry the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"That's not the only thing she isn't telling you," Alder cuts in.

"What do you mean?" The steady tone on Cheren's voice hides a thinly veiled threat.

The former champion turns his gaze to Bianca. "You really don't remember what happened to you?"

She shakes her head. A heavy sense of foreboding washes over them. He hums a long, low-pitched note before sitting down at one of the wooden tables.

"Please sit down. And I suggest you keep an open mind. Even I don't believe what I'm about to tell you."

…

"...watch this show as well. Did Touko introduce it to you all? No? Ritsu watched it randomly one night and got all of you into it? Hmm...I see."

Touko wakes up to N asking questions to her team. At first, she quietly groans and tosses her face back into the pillow, but a burst of boisterous cheering jerks her body up to a sitting position. Her Pokémon had formed a semi-circle around the flat-screen TV, with N in the middle, their faces almost pressed to the electronic device.

"Why are you guys shouting so loud so early in the morning?" she grumbles.

Her team, minus Reshiram, who is inside of its luxury ball, all cringe at her tone. Ritsu, the only Pokémon on her team who knows how to handle a grouchy, sleep-deprived Touko, nudges the TV and growls happily.

She blinks a couple of times. "Ahh...is it that time of the week…? Well, keep it down…" Yawning rather loudly, Touko flops back onto the bed. She lays there for several long seconds.

"Wait!"

She snaps back up and points a finger at the TV. "I thought the next season wasn't until next week! Why are you guys up then?!"

"_**Heroine, it appears that you have lost track of time. It is indeed the next week today, and we are all very excited to see the new protagonist."**_

"Touko, you watch this show too?" N questions with a muted eagerness.

"N-No! Of course not! It's a kids show!"

He frowns at her answer. "That's a shame. I think that it teaches very important life lessons." The new yet familiar tingle of a cute female voice forcibly grabs the attention of her team, and they abandon their trainer to plaster themselves against the tiny screen. Realizing that she won't be getting any more sleep, Touko sighs and runs her hands through her hair, hoping to destroy a few knots before her inevitable battle with her comb.

"So how did you come across this show?" the female trainer asks as she crawls her way over to the end of the bed.

"Mei introduced me to it," he answers, "She practically shoved me in front of the TV one day and didn't let me leave until the episode ended. At first, I was hesitant about watching Pokémon get hurt for the sake of mindless entertainment, but Mei gave me a tour of Pokéstar Studios and showed me how they shot each episode. I've learned how they used a multitude of different tricks to set up scenarios that couldn't happen in the real world, and I saw how the safety of people and Pokémon are their number-one priority. It didn't take long for me to become just as invested as she is."

"Pokéstar Studio? Is that the giant avenue in Virbank City?"

"Yes. It was established a year ago, but the company's popularity has skyrocketed tremendously thanks to Mei being a full-time actress there."

The heroine hums as her blue eyes shift to the television. _"Another pink magical girl…"_ she muses to herself. Her mind wanders to her own magical girl form. The bright orange hair that resembles a curtain of fire. The impeccable white color of her really feminine dress. The feeling of heat surging within her fingertips.

"Imagine if magic existed in the world," N interjects, pulling her out of her daydream. "Sure, there will be people who would abuse that power, but there will be others who will stop them and maintain peace. Watching these kinds of shows reminds me of what you have taught me, Touko."

Her team of Pokémon snaps their eyes wide as if they were caught stealing extra berries in the middle of the night. Touko's cheeks flush against her will, but she doesn't know if it's because of embarrassment or panic. The green-haired man notices her Pokémon companions suddenly shrink away, and he attempts to figure out the source of their apparent alarm.

"What's the matt-?"

"I-I think magic exists!" she blurts out, bailing her team out of his inevitable interrogation. The luxury ball in Lillil's arms is trembling, struggling to reach its trainer. N seems shocked by her response.

"You do?"

"Yes, I do. After all, you have a wonderful magical ability that no one else has, N."

Touko looks up to see his reaction. His mouth is hung open. His hand twitches subtly. He turns back to the television and draws his cap down over his eyes.

"I'm...glad that you think so, Touko."

"_What is this foreign feeling? Why does it feel so good to receive a compliment from her?"_

Meanwhile, Touko celebrates her victory in silence. She has managed to dodge a bullet and catch him off guard. Her Pokémon all slump in relief. The television is ignored as the credits for the episode roll up the screen.

This time, Reshiram is the one sighing at its trainer. _**"Oh dear."**_

…

"Cheren, you're awfully quiet…"

The bombshell of a revelation is weighing heavily in their minds. Surprisingly, Bianca is taking the news much better than Cheren is. Well, at least judging from his uncharacteristic silence.

"Bianca, how much of that do you believe?" he finally asks. At first, she only releases a bewildered "huh?", but after she spots the troubled glint in his eyes, she looks down, avoiding his gaze.

"Uhh, well, it's actually kind of hard to believe any of that, but I don't think Alder is the one to weave such a bizarre story."

The gym leader adjusts his tie and clears his throat, clearly uncomfortable by what he had learned. "Then there must be a strand of truth in his words. Still, we don't have the whole story. We don't know how Touko managed to save you from being that...Kugeki." The word sounds foreign, even with his analytical tone. He turns on his heel and walks away from the dirt battlefield drawn in front of Alder's home. Bianca dashes to his side.

"What are you going to do now?"

"I'm going to go see Touko. I need to confirm this with her, and I want to know why she is hiding this from us."

"Then...then!" Bianca wrestles with her voice, trying to get it to convey her choice. "I'll go with you! If what Alder said is true, that means I was used to hurt my best friend. I want to at least apologize to her about that."

Cheren nods. "Okay, but we have to hurry. If I remember correctly, she should still be in Castelia City. If she's not, we might have to split up and check both Skyarrow Bridge and Route 4."

Their walk to Virbank City is plagued with a tense silence. Once they reach the pier, Bianca realizes something.

"Wait Cheren...how come we can't just call her on her Xtransceiver?"

The teacher freezes, burying his head into his hand. "...I forgot to ask her for her Xtransceiver number."

"Huh? Didn't you have it before when we went on our journey?"

"...Bianca, it's the same reason why I needed to ask you for your number a year ago."

"Oh...OH! Oh..."

…

"As I was saying, we should go up Route 4 and circle around Unova before heading back down," Touko explains to a frowning N, who proceeds to shake his head.

"I actually think we should visit the southeastern part of Unova before we travel up north."

"N, if we go north, then we won't have to backtrack as much."

The crowd of Pokémon gathered around their trainers observe them jab fingers at a crumbled map as they argue over their next destination.

"_**It has only been a day, and already they are clashing with each other. I do hope it does not escalate into a Pokémon battle," **_Reshiram says to its teammates from its glossy ball. Instantly, the rest of the group sprints into a corner, huddling away from the Lilligant holding the luxury ball. N's team, his trusty Zoroark and another Vanilluxe, also joins them, shivering in utter fear.

Lillil tilts her head and squeaks once, confused as to why everyone is staring at her like that. Zoroark growls under his breath, and the flowery Pokémon perks up, as if finally realizing why they're shaking, with unshed tears in Zoroark's normally mischievous eyes and beads of frozen sweat on both Vanilluxe's bodies.

"_..." N gasped and fell to his knees, appalled by what had transpired. Touko stood before him, her crystal blue eyes staring down at his hunched form. He did not dare to look up, afraid that one glance into her pupils will burn away the rest of his being. _

_Everything is ruined. His ideals...his dreams…_

_He had lost. Touko was the victorious hero._

_"After all of that, do you think you're still worthy of sharing the name Harmonia with me? You good-for-nothing boy!" Ghetsis raged, his footsteps shaking the pristine halls of the fallen king's castle. Each word that escaped his mouth shattered the remaining pieces of N's dignity._

"_Add it up, and you are nothing more than a warped, defective boy who knows nothing but Pokémon..."_

_Reshiram could feel the rage engulfing its heroine as she helplessly listened to the madman verbally crush his son under his shoes. She could not open her mouth; the cruelty before her stunned everyone in the chamber._

_"You can say whatever you want. A Pokémon, even if it's revered as a deity, is still just a Pokémon. Touko, so what if it chose you! That doesn't mean you're a threat. Come on! Now you'll face ME in battle! I can't wait to see the look on your face when you've lost all hope!"_

_It wasn't until he changed his focus from the fallen king to Touko that Reshiram shared its trainer's anger. Their hearts become one, and Touko lifted her head to send Ghetsis a snarl that would torment him...and N for the rest of their lives._

"_I'll show you what it means to lose all hope, Ghetsis," she vowed. _

_The bystanders cowered as they observed their ensuing fight. No, the walls did not shake under the force of their clash. No, the room did not tremble. No, there was no storm of manic cries as both trainers attempted to bring the other down._

_No, there was only silence, terror in its purest form._

_The witnesses too would forever be haunted by that day, by the truth that rang through the halls of that once pristine castle._

_Touko single-handedly swept Ghetsis's entire team with her Lilligant._

The luxury ball bounces up and down as the recollection ends. _**"We must resolve their fight before it comes to that conclusion!"**_

"N, I really don't want to go home yet!" Touko snaps at him, providing him with yet another reason why they should go with her idea.

"And why is that?" N retorts back, "I want to learn about the world that you grew up in, just like you have for me. I wish to meet the person who raised you and helped you become the Touko that I know now."

It is an innocent statement; a heartwarming gesture that critically strikes her heart. In fact, it is so effective, she finds herself mentally conjuring an image of N and her mother engaged in a conversation about some obscure fact about her past. She humors herself for only a second before the truth comes crawling back, nagging at her to stop daydreaming.

"_I-I'm not ready for him to meet my mom! How is she going to react if her daughter, who she lost contact with for three years, suddenly comes home with a guy?! And once she finds out that he's the friend I've been searching for…!" _

Another image, this time of her mom giggling mischievously at the lanky man and shoving him to Touko's side while he stumbles around in confusion, dances in her head. She almost buries herself into the pile of blankets on her bed.

The embarrassment that her mother will deliver to her is guaranteed to expose the tiny spouts of love in her heart to the oblivious man. And that is the last thing she wants.

N heaves out a puff of air. "We are going nowhere with this. Maybe we should get some food first and then discuss it some more afterwards."

He calls for Zoroark and Vanilluxe to follow him, and they exit the room, leaving Touko to stare at the wrinkled map alone.

She sighs and retrieves the luxury ball from her Lilligant's arms.

"_**Heroine."**_

"Save the lecture, Reshiram," the trainer snaps. "You already know the real reason why I don't want to go home yet."

"_**Your mother misses you. Is it not time for you to ease her worries and tell her that you have returned?"**_

Her shoulders slump. The arm holding the luxury ball hangs limply by her side.

"_**You feel guilty for not contacting her for so long."**_

The truth, now exposed to the quiet room, reverberates in her mind.

"I spent years of my life looking for him. I was so focused on the task that I forgot everything else. Cheren, Bianca, my mom…"

"_**But it is for that very reason that you should contact her. I imagine that her feelings will be hurt more if she learns that her daughter, after coming back to her home region, does not want to reach out to her."**_

Touko's other hand brushes against the electronic watch on her wrist.

"I'll...call her tonight. First, I need to figure out where we're heading next."

"_**If I may offer my opinion on the matter, I believe that we should head down Skyarrow Bridge."**_

"Reshiram, whose side are you on?!"

…

Cheren and Bianca land at Prime Pier by midday. The teacher scans the dock for any sign of his friend, while the professor's assistant eyes her friend's troubled frown.

"Let's ask around, Bianca," he suggests. "Someone must have seen her."

The blonde nods and follows his lead. They reach the main street and head towards the Pokémon Center, unaware of a trainer trailing behind them with an ice cream cone in her hands.

"Cheren and Bianca? What are they doing here?" Mei mutters, taking a bite out of the frozen dessert. She observes them asking random people about a certain trainer, their faces neutral as a scientist points them to the end of the giant street.

"They're looking for Touko? Zekrom, we're going to follow them."

"_**I do not see why you are suspicious of them, but since we are following the other heroine anyway, let us go."**_

Mei dashes across the city, making sure that she's at least a few feet away from the people she's stalking. The duo is about to enter the Pokémon Center when the sliding doors open, parting away to let Touko exit the building.

"C-Cheren? Bianca? I didn't expect to see you guys here," the heroine greets. Mei furrows her eyebrows at the unusual tension straining Touko's voice. Both of her childhood friends must have noticed it too, for they ask her if everything's alright.

"Umm...N and I got into a fight earlier. I'm actually going to search for him right now."

The trainer from Aspertia City inhales sharply. _"It's only day two! Are you kidding me?!" _She clenches her trembling fist.

"_**Mei, I have warned you about this before. Conflict is inevitable, even if you have 'trained' Lord N to be more tolerable around humans. In fact, it is all those two have ever known of each other. Their personalities are bound to have them clash."**_

"Just because they're like that in the past doesn't mean that they have to be now," she bites back. "I can tell that N cares deeply about Touko and vice versa, so why are they-?!"

"_**When they disagree, that is how they come to understand each other. Remember that in the end, Lord N and the other heroine are barely friends, strangers even. Their bonds are still growing. In any case, it does seem like she is remorseful about fighting with him."**_

Mei returns her gaze to the entrance of the healing center...only to find that her targets have disappeared.

"Oh no!" she gasps, dashing out of her hiding spot to perform a quick scan of the area. "Where did they go?!" Mei digs into her bag and pulls out a Poke Ball.

"Swanna, come on out!"

A graceful swan-like Pokémon bows her head as she materializes by her trainer's side. She folds her wings as she chirps out a greeting.

"Can you help me find Touko and her friends? If you see them, come find me immediately."

The White Bird Pokémon unfolds her wings and soars to the skies. While the Swanna flies toward the piers, Mei dashes into Castelia Street to the center of the city.

...

"I see," Cheren responses curtly, silently noting the heavy frown on Touko's face. From what she has explained to them, her fight with N is laughably minuscule, but despite that, she looks torn. Bianca, being the more emotionally supportive of the trio, places a hand on the heroine's shoulder.

"I understand where you're coming from, Touko," the teacher says. "But at the same time, you coming home would end your mother's agony. She doesn't have to wonder if you've fulfilled your dream or if you're safe out there anymore."

Touko looks down, toying with the luxury ball on her waist. "Is it really that simple?"

Bianca clasps Touko's hands and tugs them up, prompting the trainer to lift her gaze. "Your mom is a kind and understanding person. I'm sure that all she wants is to see you again."

"_That's what Reshiram said," _Touko recalls as her frown spreads across her face. Cheren watches her mood sink further.

"Are you thinking that she doesn't want to see you anymore?" he asks. The question seems out of the blue, but it makes her tense. She bites her lips as she clutches the luxury ball again.

"Oh Touko...why would you ever think that?" Bianca softly mumbles, her heart lurching at the grim thought. Touko avoids eye contact with them as the crowd of people around them speeds up their pace. The buildings loom over her, creating a sense of isolation that only she can feel.

Cheren plays with his tie, a substitute to his nervous tick of adjusting his glasses, which he doesn't wear anymore. "So that's the root of the problem. I didn't think you would develop this kind of mindset."

She remains silent. Her two friends stare at each other.

"I plan to call her tonight, but I'm bracing myself for the worst," she informs them with a quiet tone. The gym leader sighs heavily, as if he's about to lecture one of his students. Before he can, however, Bianca once again speaks up, this time with a cheerful smile.

"Your mom will be so happy to hear from you. In a situation like this, you should give her your biggest smile so that she knows that you've accomplished what you set off to do!"

"Bianca…" the heroine gasps. Cheren exasperatedly shakes his head but ultimately grins at the helpful advice that Touko is given.

"Thank you. I think I'll do that."

They find themselves in front of the giant fountain in the city plaza. Touko does a quick survey of the area, but there is no sign of N or his Pokémon companions. Giving up her search, she heaves a sigh and sits down on the edge of the fountain.

"So, what did you guys want to ask me?" the heroine asks, remembering that they came looking for her. Cheren, as if someone might eavesdrop on them, lowers the volume of his voice.

"Is it true that Bianca was fused with a Pokémon and became a...Kugeki?"

Touko's heart almost stops. Reshiram's luxury ball bats itself against her thigh. She nearly falls into the shallow pond of water behind her; the shock is too great for her to feebly hide it behind a flimsy innocent smile.

"_W-Where did he hear that from?!"_

"So you do know something!" Cheren probes. "Please tell us the truth! If what Alder said is true, then Unova is in danger again!"

Her mind blanks out after hearing the former champion's name. It takes her a moment to even register that Bianca is waving a hand in her face, trying to draw her out of her daze. The color drains from her body.

"_I-I completely forgot about Alder!"_

"_**We forgot to swear him into secrecy. Who knows how many people he has told by now?"**_

"Touko? Touko!" the gym leader snaps. The heroine struggles to reclaim some rational sense in her mind. What can she do, now that the truth is out there?

"_**You have to tell them. This was going to happen sooner or later. Besides, because of what happened with Bianca, they are already involved in all this."**_

She opens her mouth to speak. "I-!"

"Why don't we give you a demonstration?"

The three of them gasp at the sudden intruder to their conversation. On top of a skyscraper, a member of the Shadow Triad stands before them, arms crossed his chest. A Bisharp is by his side, his posture the same as his trainer.

"You! What are you planning?!" Touko hisses, a hand already on the luxury ball. As usual, Shadow remains unfazed by her hostile tone.

"We were overhearing your conversation, and we thought it might be nice to show you what a Kugeki truly is."

By now, several people have noticed the mysterious person observing them from above. Some of them begin to talk amongst themselves, speculating on who he might be. Cheren, with as much composure as he can muster, throws out a Poke Ball, sending out his first Pokémon.

"Stoutland, let's go!"

A large canine Pokémon with a pair of thick fur whiskers lets out a bark as he is released from the Poke Ball. Cheren taunts Shadow, demanding that he come down and battle him. Unbeknownst to the gym leader, the edges of Shadow's eyes narrow, an amused glint sparkling in his normally dead eyes. Bisharp raises an arm, as if preparing to attack.

"How foolish. Even after knowing that you don't stand a chance, you still resist. No matter. You have already fallen into our trap."

"_**Heroine, tell Cheren to recall his Pokémon now! He's going to-!"**_

"Cheren, don't!" Touko cries out. Her heart accelerates when Shadow pulls out the dreaded device and holds it up to the sky.

"Now, become our next test subject!"

A crack in the sky heralds the arrival of that bleak portal. The wind picks up, and gravity isn't strong enough to keep Cheren on his feet.

"Cheren!" Bianca wails, stretching her hand out to grab his wrist. Their fingers brush faintly, just enough for her senses to register that she's a little too late. The last thing she sees is the genuinely terrified look in his eyes. Cheren and Stoutland disappear into the portal, and in their place, a massive canine monster lands on top of the water fountain, smashing it into oblivion. It resembles the Big-Hearted Pokémon, but the whiskers on its face swing out to resemble a pair of flexed arms, with the ends curled up to form giant fists. Cheren is attached to the Kugeki, his body from the waist down embedded into the monster's furry back. His eyes are clenched shut as the dark aura spikes around the Kugeki. It lets out a howl, and its negative energy encases the entire city. People and Pokémon drop to their knees, suddenly losing the strength to even stand.

"W-What's going on?" Bianca wheezes, clinging onto Touko's arm. "Why is everyone like this? And what is that...thing?!"

"That is a Kugeki. A combination of human and Pokémon. How interesting that you do not remember being one yourself," Shadows explains as he vanishes and reappears by his monster's side. "As I said before, this is an experiment, and it turns out that our theory holds true. If a trainer is fused with their Pokémon, then the energy produced is increased. It can even spread to other living things, leaving them incapable of thought, reason."

Touko's grip on the luxury ball makes her hand tremble. _"This is why I didn't want them to find out! They'll use anyone to get what they want!"_

"Hmm...it appears that those who have been purified before are not affected by the Kugeki's aura. Yes, these are good results. Now, Precure, revert your friend back to normal!" the villain taunts as he commands his creation to attack the trainer.

"Precure…?" Touko's friend echoes back.

"Bianca, run away now!"

"W-What?"

In Bianca's mind, she knows that this is her chance to figure out exactly how Touko saved her. But the agonized glint in those crystal blue eyes are doing a rather convincing job of making her yield to Touko's demand.

"I need you to find N," the heroine commands. "Find him and keep him away from here."

"B-But what about you? Are you going to fight this by yourself?"

"Please, Bianca. I can't...let N see this."

"_I can't have him see me."_

From one of the roads leading into the plaza, a certain trainer overhears the entire conversation.

"_**Precure...he called the other heroine that."**_

Zekrom's trainer does not reply to its observation. She latches a hand onto her sports bag as if using it to stabilize herself.

"_**Mei…I know where your thoughts are heading, but we must focus on the task. You need to-!"**_

She hears Touko pleading her friend to search for N. Stepping out from the shadows, the trainer from Aspertia City makes her presence known.

"I'll find him, Touko," Mei proclaims with a firm nod. The heroine whips her head back, shocked at the sudden intruder.

"M-Mei?"

"I'm going to go find him. That's why...please don't worry!"

Before Touko can respond, she dashes away. Zekrom's ultra ball wriggles, and she knows that the legendary Pokémon is silently questioning her decision.

Mei shakes her head and continues to run.

…

Touko sees no way out of her situation. She had hoped that by sending Bianca away to guard N, she can fight the Kugeki without endangering her. It is already too late for her to deny anything; Shadow had already ratted her out by calling her a Precure.

But Mei had shown up to ruin that plan. The almost perfect timing casts a hint of suspicion onto the younger trainer. Just how long was she there? And how much did she hear? And why isn't she drowning in the negative energy like the others?

"_**Heroine, we must save those questions for later. Right now, you must transform."**_

The brown-haired trainer takes a quick peek at her friend, who stares back with a nervous frown. The heroine lets out a heavy sigh and takes a deep breath.

"Bianca, you might want to look away," Touko warns. She lifts Reshiram's luxury ball into the air and chants out the activation words that will trigger her transformation.

"Curing Fusion Orb!"

Bianca is blinded by the bright pillar of light. She raises her hands to block out the intense glow, squeezing her eyes out to further decrease its brilliance. Seconds later, the light vanishes, and in its place, a completely different person stands before her.

"The Heroine of Truth, Cure Flare!"

Bianca registers the heat emitting from the magical girl before anything else. Flare's long orange ponytail flickers with the wind. Behind the curtain of hair, the sheer white color of her dress almost shimmers in the sunlight. Her wings subtly flap against her short skirt.

A magical girl. Her friend is actually a magical girl.

A long gasp flows out of Bianca's lips as the Precure lowers her stance. The moment her breath is finally taken away, Flare launches forward and delivers a swift kick to the Kugeki's muzzle. She attempts to shove in another kick, but one of its furry fists sweeps in from the side, forcing her to dodge out of the way. The other whisker comes from behind in order to take advantage of the short opening of vulnerability, but Flare lifts her hand to create a barrier of fire. The fist bashes against her shield, and an explosion of orange flames reflects the power of the collision back to the monster. The force hurls the beast towards the crumbled fountain, where it is drenched by a geyser of water that resulted from the impact.

Flare doesn't give the canine monster time to pick itself up. Rushing in at a speed that makes Bianca's head spin, the magical girl hurls several fireballs in the Kugeki's direction. While the monster is distracted by the mediocre attacks, the Precure kicks it up towards the sky, using the momentum of her strike to jump above its head and send it crashing down with an axe kick.

She lands in front of Bianca at the same time the merged beast smacks against the broken fountain yet again.

"_**You are more aggressive today, Flare."**_

"What did you expect? I can't forgive them for using my friends as tools to bring me down. They'll pay for dragging them into this," the magical girl snaps back.

"T-Touko…" The display of power Flare demonstrated just now renders Bianca speechless. She might as well be like the people and Pokémon suffering from the effects of the Kugeki's dark aura, only except of despair, she sees hope.

Shadow, on the other hand, is grimacing at how comfortable the magical girl is in wielding her newfound powers. His creation isn't defeated yet, but the fight is heavily one-sided.

He has always feared the strength that she possessed. That indomitable strong will…

Still, he cannot back down now. He must push her to her limits...if she even has any.

"As expected of the Heroine of Truth," Shadow praises, but the gesture only serves to leave a bad taste in Flare's mouth. "The power that you hold inside of you...it's a valuable thing. Wouldn't you agree, Kugeki?" The ninja presses a button on the device, one that she recognizes as the switch he accidentally pressed when Bianca was a Kugeki.

The Stoutland-like monstrosity slowly lifts itself up. It growls at the Precure, visibly struggling to stay on its feet. Flare shares eye contact with the absorbed Cheren, noting that his eyes are now open, glowing with eerie darkness. The purple aura around the Kugeki flares, intensifying the cages of despair holding the rest of the public captive.

"Power…" Flare hears Cheren mutter. "I must be powerful…"

The giant whiskers on the monster's face swing around wildly, hoping to catch the magical girl with one of its fists. Cheren is howling in agony, screaming with the feral intent to destroy everything in his path. Flare assumes a defensive stance when a furry fist heads towards her and Bianca. She takes the attack, grunting as she strains to keep her ground in order to protect her friend.

"I-I should have expected nothing less...from Cheren. He's...always been stronger than he gives himself credit for…" the Precure notes, looking back to check on Bianca.

"A-Are you...alright, Bianca?"

"Y-Yeah, I am, but…"

She understands that she is a burden to Touko right now. The gravity of the situation is still pressing down on her mind, and while she wishes that this is all a dream, her best friend is fighting to save their other friend. The Shadow Triad is still around, and magic exists.

"Power...I must be the strongest…" Cheren growls out. Flare opens her mouth to deliver another speech, but she never gets the chance, for Bianca calls out to her friend.

"Cheren, please remember what you've learned on your journey! What will you do with power once you get it? Just like how I've realized something very important about myself, you did as well! Please remember what that is: the reason why you decided to be a gym leader!"

Shadow gruffs at her pleading. "It's pointless! Nothing you say will reach him. Kugeki, crush them both to the ground!"

The canine monster dashes in, ready to run over them with its massive weight. Flare winds up an attack, her right hand clenched in a fist as fire congregates around her form, and slams it against the Kugeki's body.

"Bianca, I'll carry your feelings to him. You can count on that," Flare whispers to her friend.

"Touko…"

"They're definitely not pointless. In fact, I'm a little upset with myself that I wasn't there when you guys chose your paths. I wish I could have been there to support you." The regret lining the edges of her voice further reveals Flare's true feelings to her childhood friend.

"But that changes now!"

The blaze within her fingertips spikes with her declaration. A cage of blue embers surrounds the Kugeki as the magical girl charges up her signature attack.

"Precure...Blue Flare!"

Bianca feels the heat licking her skin as she witnesses the fused monster being engulfed by a pillar of blue fire. When Cure Flare launches the concentrated beam of azure flames, the blonde teenager can only widen her eyes, dazzled by the strangely beautiful attack.

Cheren and Stoutland are successfully separated from each other, and as Shadow vanishes out of sight, Flare sprints towards the falling gym leader. Meanwhile, Bianca releases her Musharna and orders her to use Psychic on the Stoutland. The magical girl lets her friend search Cheren for Stoutland's Poke Ball, and after Bianca recalls the canine-like Pokémon, Flare picks up the gym leader and carries him bridal-style.

The dark aura around the bystanders disappears. They all unceremoniously drop to the ground, their bodies entering a brief state of unconsciousness.

"Let's go to the Pokémon Center and wait for him to wake up. I'll explain everything once he does."

"Aren't you going to transform back?" Bianca questions.

Flare abruptly stops. She surveys her surroundings and then laughs nervously.

"R-Right, maybe I should. Who knows when they'll wake up?" And with that, her transformation peels away. Once she returns to being her civilian self again, the sudden lack of strength almost makes her drop Cheren onto the concrete.

"Oof...he's heavy," Touko wheezes out. Bianca chuckles at her.

"Don't let Cheren hear you say that," the blonde jokingly warns. "He'll throw a fit."

"Don't I know it. Ritsu, come on out! Help me bring Cheren to the Pokémon Center!"

…

Cheren wakes up feeling as if he's missing something. When he opens his eyes, he sees Touko and Bianca hovering over him. The fact that he's looking up indicates that he's lying down somewhere.

"Hey there, how are you feeling?" Touko questions. The teacher sits up and glances around the room.

"Where am I?"

"You're in the Pokémon Center. This is the room that I'm staying in."

Bianca clasps his hand and says, "Oh, I'm so glad that you're okay!"

"B-Bianca? H-Hey, what's wrong?" His stuttering aside, he seems to be back to normal.

"You don't remember anything?" The heroine probes. Cheren rubs his temples as he attempts to recall how exactly he ended up here.

"I challenged a member of the Shadow Triad to a battle, but after that, my mind is drawing up nothing."

"You were turned into that...thing, just like I was a few days ago," Bianca explains, letting go of Cheren's hand. His face as he realizes what happened mirrors her own. Touko awkwardly rubs her arm. The gym leader slams a fist down onto his lap and lets out a curse.

"I can't believe I let them use me like that! On top of that, I couldn't verify the information that Alder gave us because of this memory loss. How annoying...and humiliating."

"But Touko saved you, Cheren. She's going to tell us everything now, right?"

The brown-haired trainer catches the inquisitive glint in his eyes. She shuts her eyes, takes a deep breath, and then firmly nods.

"Before I do though, you must not tell anyone else about this."

"_**Except Alder."**_

"Except Alder. You can tell him since he also got caught up in all this."

…

N and Mei return to the Pokémon Center just as the sun disappears for the night. They bump into Cheren and Bianca as they are about to head out. They're whispering something to each other, the gap between them shrinking with each inaudible word.

"Oh Bianca, Cheren! Are you two heading back to Aspertia City?" Mei greets them with a coy smile. Judging from the curt grunt that Cheren releases as soon as she finishes her question, he must have known that she's trying to push him into a situation where he's going to get teased.

"Yeah, we are. Our business here is done. Let's go, Bianca."

He doesn't even give Mei a chance to respond, for he grabs Bianca's wrist and walks out of the building. The blonde timidly asks him what's the matter, but he keeps his mouth shut.

N shifts his gaze between the glass automatic doors and his friend. "I wonder what that was all about."

"Oh, don't worry about it, N. Now, do you remember what I told you?"

"Yes, I do. Thank you for helping me again."

"Anytime! Good luck on resolving your fight with Touko. I think I'm going to take a walk."

She beams a smile before spinning around and heading out into the city. Once the doors close behind her though, that peppy expression evaporates instantly, and a deep frown plasters itself onto her face.

"_**Mei? Are you alright?"**_

"...No, I'm not," she admits. The cold ocean breeze does nothing to help her mood. "We need to discuss what we should do next now that we've figured out who the other Precure is."

"_**How dare Reshiram steal my idea. I came up with the concept first!"**_

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. We'll confront them sooner or later, so try not to give yourself away in the meantime."

…

"Touko, are you there?" N asks as he knocks on the door to their room. He finds that it is unlocked and, after tapping his knuckles against the wooden barrier again, enters to the sight of Touko sitting on her bed. The wrinkled map is placed in front of her, and the way she has to turn her head to acknowledge him suggests that she had been staring at it for quite a while.

"Oh N...welcome back."

He closes the door behind him and pulls his gaze to the map. She follows his eyes to the sheet of paper on the bed.

"N, I think we should go to Skyarrow Bridge!"

"Touko, let's go to Route 4!"

Silence consumes them both. It takes them a while to process what the other had blurted out, especially since their sentences came out at the same time.

"What? Why did you change your mind?" the female trainer gasps. N is just as appalled as she is.

"I thought you wanted to go to Route 4, so I wish to follow your decision."

"Well, I don't want to anymore. We're going to Skyarrow Bridge, and that's final."

"Are you sure? I'm perfectly fine heading north."

And as yet another argument breaks out between the two heroes, Reshiram huffs from inside of its luxury ball.

"_**I should really prepare myself if this is going to happen a lot in the future."**_

…

The moon is bright when Touko lifts her left wrist up to her face. N has already passed out, exhausted from negotiating with the heroine about their next destination (her suggestion won, but technically it was N's idea in the first place, so ultimately, he won). She scrolls through her contacts (yes, Cheren and Bianca remembered to register her into their Xtransceivers) and finds the button associated with her mother.

With a dash of reluctance, Touko presses the number.

_Beeeep! Beeep!_

"T-Touko?" She hears her mom hesitantly answers, her voice weary but lined with a pinch of hope.

"I'm back, Mom."

**Profiles: Cheren and Bianca.**

**Touko's childhood friends. They started their journey together three years ago in Nuvema Town. When Touko left Unova in order to fulfill her dreams and search for N, Cheren became a gym leader and a teacher while Bianca became Professor Juniper's temporary assistant. **

**Cheren is the most logical of the three, preferring to use his vast source of knowledge to gain an advantage in battle. In his journey, he actively pursued the ideal of power and strength, but after meeting Alder and getting sucked into the fight against the original Team Plasma, he now wishes to inspire newer generations of trainers with both his strength and his wisdom. He often thinks back to his adventure and the lessons he has learned, mostly for nostalgia purposes. Sometimes his old habits of being blunt and obnoxious slip through his professional persona. **

**Bianca is the heart of the trio. While a bit clumsy and ditzy, she has the resolve to pursue her dreams with the same amount of passion as Touko and Cheren. On her journey, she finds herself struggling to accept the truth that she cannot be as strong of a trainer as her friends. After Touko defeats Team Plasma, she decides to learn more about Pokémon, which led her to become an intern researcher. Like Cheren, she often recalls the times she spent with her friends on her journey, though they mostly serve as her source of motivation to move forward, rather than a device to experience nostalgia. **

**The two are close to each other, especially after reuniting a year ago, to the point where Mei constantly gives Cheren a hard time, and Touko always has a moment of second-hand embarrassment whenever they're too obvious about their feelings with each other.**


	5. Spread Your Wings, Cure Flare!

**Chapter 5: Sky Trainers and Skyarrow Bridge! Spread Your Wings, Cure Flare!**

"I'm back, Mom."

The silence that follows Touko's declaration slowly forms a vice grip on her throat. For the first time, she cannot read her mother's expression. The normal friendly smile that Touko's mother always wears is replaced with a straight face. Her eyes are widened, but only by a centimeter. Her eyelids immediately droop down to cover half of her eyes as if she's considering whether or not she should glare at her daughter.

Touko starts to chant in her mind that this is a bad idea. She should have waited! What were Reshiram and her friends thinking? Now, what is she supposed to say?!

"Welcome back, Touko. Did you find your friend?" her mother questions. It is obvious from her tone that she is hiding her apprehension behind her patient persona.

Without thinking, Touko turns her gaze to where N is sleeping.

"Y-Yeah, I did."

"That's great news. I'm happy for you, dear."

The fact that her mom is continuing the conversation as if she hasn't heard or seen her daughter in over three years causes the trainer to tear up. She covers her mouth to muffle her cries, not wanting N to wake up and see her in such a state.

"Oh Touko, what's wrong?"

"Why aren't you yelling at me?" she blurts out, borderline hissing at her mother. "Why aren't you mad at me? I dropped off the face of the planet and made you worry so much!"

Her team begins to stir from their slumber, sensing the distress radiating from their trainer. Her Lilligant awakens first. With Reshiram's luxury ball in her arms, the flowery Pokémon wobbles her way to Touko's bed. Touko's mother watches as her daughter's face morphs in the presence of her Pokémon, her visibly upset posture melting away slowly. Eventually, the rest of her team surrounds her bed, giving her some much-needed confidence to face her mother.

"When your mind is set on something," Touko's mom begins, grabbing her daughter's attention, "there is nothing I can do to stop you. That's how you've always been. The only thing that matters to me is that you were able to accomplish what you've set off to do."

"Mom…"

"Still…I'm so happy to hear that you're okay. Even though I know you can take care of yourself, I cannot help but worry about you."

She sees Touko's eyebrows crinkle, a sign that she's contemplating her response.

"I'm coming home soon! My friend and I are going on a journey together right now, but I want you to meet him."

The subtle pink blooming on her cheeks and the sudden aversion of her azure eyes do not go unnoticed by the single mother. Her daughter was always easy to read, even without her years of experience raising the heroine.

Instead of flashing that all-knowing smirk that Touko has been dreading since the beginning of the call, she returns her normal motherly smile to the trainer and says, "I look forward to meeting the kind of man that my daughter would wander the world for."

...

It is rare for Alder to have guests over for dinner. But what is even more unexpected are the resolved expressions on Cheren's and Bianca's faces when they invited themselves in that night. Something about the muted determination in their eyes intrigues him. Have they found the truth about the incident?

"Thank you for letting us stay at such short notice," Cheren humbly says, placing down his bowl of rice. On the other hand, Bianca has already finished her serving of rice.

"Yes, thank you so much! The food's great!" the professor's assistant says.

"Well, I couldn't just refuse you at the door," Alder replies, reaching over for another piece of vegetable. "Besides, it seems like you have something to discuss with me." Picking up his cup to take a sip of water, the older man waits for them in bated silence. Bianca and Cheren share a tentative gaze, seemingly having a silent conversation with each other. It must have been an argument that sparks between them, for Cheren eventually huffs irritatedly and faces the former champion.

"We managed to track down Touko, and she told us everything. She wanted us to tell you what really happened because she said that you're already involved." Alder hums slowly when Cheren brings up the incident with the Kugeki.

"Involved, you say? Hmm…"

"Alder, I think you should keep an open mind. What we're about to tell you...might change everything that you know about the world," Bianca warns. "I know that it did for me."

"It's the same for me," Cheren pitches in. He abruptly looks away as if he recalled something he rather not.

"The truth is that Touko is…"

...

Mei gets up at the break of sunrise. Normally, she is a morning person, but waking up at this hour is curious, considering that her primary objective is to stalk her idol and her friend on their journey.

Instead, she slumps her way down the stairs to the entrance of the Pokémon Center and calls out her Swanna.

"Lacunosa Town, please," she says, stifling a yawn. The elegant Pokémon unfolds her wings and, after Mei hops onto her back, takes off to the skies towards the northern part of Unova. An hour later, the Swanna lands in the quiet town just as it's about to bustle with activity.

Mei recalls her flying type Pokémon and turns her gaze to the northeast. The townspeople merely shake their heads and move on to their daily routines, having already given up on warning the peppy girl from going to her destination. After the incident with Kyurem and Neo Team Plasma, they have left her alone to her own devices.

Though, that doesn't stop them from thinking things like, "There she goes again…" or "She must be crazy, trying to befriend that monster…"

The young trainer stretches her arms as a way to expel the last of her morning weariness. Her bag rumbles against her hip, a cue that tells her that Zekrom wants to speak.

"_**We have much to report today. Let us hurry so that we do not get left behind by them."**_

"Yeah. I only hope nothing else happens while we're gone."

"_**That reminds me...when exactly are we going to reveal ourselves to the other heroine?"**_

"Obviously when she needs our help, Zekrom. That's when we'll swoop in, save the day, and earn her respect!"

"_**I should have known…"**_

The Giant Chasm, despite the summer heat beating down onto the region, exhales a gust of chilly wind from its lonely entrance. Mei strolls into the cavern as if she's entering a clothing store, eager and filled with jubilation. The sight of the fallen trees and the giant patch of sand in the center of the sacred grounds do little to deter her from her destination. The cold air picks up again as she nears the chamber overlooking the devastated chasm. Digging into her bag, she pulls out several Yache berries and cradles them in her hands as if they're offerings for a ritual.

"Kyurem, I'm back!" she hollers, her giddiness echoing across the icy cavern. The temperature drops as frosty wind circulates around the pigtailed teenager. From the chilly mist, a pair of golden eyes sharpens its glare before the rest of the Pokémon materializes.

Kyurem, the Boundary Pokémon, releases a roar that scatters the frozen wind, threatening to knock Mei's visor off of her head. Despite the obvious display of power, Kyurem eyes Mei not with hostility, but with exasperation.

Its voice rumbles through her mind, seeping down her spine as a slow chill. Unlike the warmth in Reshiram's voice or the thundering boom that borders Zekrom's voice, Kyurem speaks as if to instill terror into the thing it is talking to.

"_**So, you have returned."**_

"Yep, and I brought your favorite berries, just as I said I would!"

One can call her insane for addressing the dragon and ice-type legendary Pokémon the way she does: without fear, without malice. She dares to step forward and places the Yache berries by Kyurem's feet. And while the ice dragon swallows one of them whole, Zekrom releases itself from its ultra ball and stands by Mei's side.

"_**Kyurem," **_Zekrom begins, _**"We are here for our weekly report."**_

"_**A routine I did not ask you two to maintain," **_the forgotten legendary Pokémon retorts back. With that carefree smile, Mei shakes her head.

"Oh, don't be like that, Kyurem! We actually have big news to inform you of."

Kyurem's yellow eyes then twinkle with amusement, as if it already knows what the bubbly trainer is about to tell it. _**"I sense that Reshiram is back in Unova. The other heroine has returned."**_

"_**Yes, she has, and her return has complicated our current dilemma with the Shadow Triad."**_

Kyurem must be smirking at Zekrom's confirmation, intrigued by the development. Mei's smile once again drops, all of her positive energy drained away by that sparkle in the ice dragon's eyes.

She has never gotten Kyurem to respond in such a way before.

"_**Tell me more."**_

...

"Wow...no matter how many times I walk across this bridge, the view is always amazing," Touko mumbles out.

N's gray eyes linger on his friend as she stares over the edge of the railings, her head swinging back and forth to follow the line of cars rushing under them. Touko looks up to the sound of Pidove soaring over the tall bridge. A ship enters the underbelly of the bridge's arch, shooting up a puff of white smoke as it passes through. The clear sky, devoid of any clouds, ushers in a strong breeze that blows against both of the heroes' ponytails.

"Yes, the view is stunning," N agrees.

But even as he says that, his eyes are already wandering from the flying Pokémon hovering in the sky back to Touko and her radiant smile. His gaze places her in the middle of the picturesque view before him.

"Oh, N, look!" her voice snaps him out of his daze, and he turns to where Touko is pointing at. A group of oddly-dressed people, about four of them, is crowded at the center of the walkway. They're all wearing goggles and some sort of light blue suit with flaps under their arms. One of them hops onto the railing and spreads their arms out, their face indecipherable with the goggles and hood covering their head.

N tilts his head.

"Touko, what exactly are they-?" N watches as the person jumps off the bridge, seemingly into the ongoing traffic. The group of weirdly-dressed people urges the stranger on with boastful cheering. N feels a miniscule tug on his heart as he registers what the stranger has done.

And then, a shadow briefly covers N's figure. The former king gasps as the same person who nonchalantly hopped off the side of the bridge glides over him. The person somersaults once before landing next to the green-haired man with the perfect landing.

Everyone, even Touko, is clapping at the display, confusing N even more.

"Wow, that was amazing!" the brown-haired trainer exclaims. The person who flew through the sky takes off their goggles and pulls down their hood, revealing a veil of silky blonde hair.

"Thank you! I apologize if I've scared your friend there," a female voice apologizes to the duo. Her group crowds around her, patting her on the back for a job well done.

N is baffled. Whipping his head to the heroine, he interrogates his companion, "Touko, who are they? What they did was very dangerous." He attempts to speak with a mostly analytical tone, but his concern slips through the tiny crack in his voice. Touko notices his conflicted stance and is about to quell his worries when the gliding daredevil steps in.

"Allow me to introduce ourselves," the female stranger intervenes. "We are sky trainers from the Kalos region. My name is Yvette. Our colleagues have heard about this region from a traveling stranger and how it's home to many strong flying type Pokémon. We couldn't help our curiosity, especially after hearing about this magnificent bridge, so we have decided to spend a few weeks here."

Yvette lists off the names of her companions, each of them flashing a smile when their names were called.

"Sky trainers?" N questions, latching onto the unfamiliar terms. Touko catches his confusion and proceeds to take over the sky trainer's explanation.

"They're trainers who soar through the skies and battle alongside their Pokémon."

Yvette seems impressed. "You've heard of us?"

"Yes, I actually bumped into a few when I was in Kalos. I think I might have been the one who might have told them about Unova."

The female sky trainer takes a quick glance at the plain-looking heroine, eyeing her up and down. "Hmm...they did say that the person challenged them to a battle, but they had to refuse since they didn't know that the Pokémon the stranger wanted to use was eligible. Something about a white dragon that they have never seen before…"

Touko, while nervously chuckling to Yvette's recollection, is startled by Reshiram mentally invading her mind.

"_**The conditions for a sky battle was a Pokémon who can fly, right? I do not understand why I do not fit their qualifications."**_

"_It was a stretch to begin with. If they knew that you're a legendary Pokémon, they would definitely change the way they treat us, and that's when we can say goodbye to having a sky battle forever."_

"_**But the trainers in this region do not seem to have a problem that I lend my strength to you. If people here are not intimidated by me, then outsiders will have even less of a reason to refuse a battle with me."**_

"_Maybe I should get an actual flying-type Pokémon or someone who has Levitate."_

Meanwhile, N is sifting through his own thoughts. _"So Touko tried to have a sky battle with Reshiram? She hasn't told me much about her journey, other than she visited many different regions."_

"I-In any case," Touko sputters out, wanting to change the subject. "I would like to learn how to fly like what you just did. I want to experience soaring through the sky like that. Is there any way I can?"

Yvette looks back to her fellow sky trainers, and after receiving a nod from all of them, turns back with a glowing smile.

"Of course! We should have a spare suit in our inventory, so let's go get you changed!"

…

Touko walks into the Skyarrow Bridge gate wearing the same light blue suit as the sky trainers. Her hat is tucked away in favor of the hood, but her signature ponytail is sticking out of a hole in the back of said hood. Her bag is given to N to hold onto. In her right hand is Reshiram's luxury ball. A pair of goggles rest on her forehead, and she toys with it a bit as she reconvenes with N.

"Do I look okay? I think I put this on right," Touko asks. While Yvette surveys the heroine, N blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind.

"You look exactly like a blue Emolga."

There is definitely no sarcastic snark in his voice. He speaks as if reciting notes for a well-planned presentation: clear, concise, and without any awareness of how his words would impact Touko.

Needless to say, she doesn't know what to react to his statement.

"_**He speaks the truth, heroine."**_

Touko chooses to stay silent. Honestly, what was she expecting? If anything, being compared to a Pokémon in N's case is the _best _possible outcome.

Apparently, the rest of the sky trainers have the same reaction as the paralyzed heroine, their eyes staring blankly ahead and their mouths wide open. Oblivious to their reactions, N continues his observations, "What makes these suits capable of letting people fly? The design is meant to replicate an Emolga, but they can only glide with the wind."

Touko and the sky trainers snap back into reality fairly quickly.

"It's true that we can only fly when there's a strong wind current to keep us afloat. That's why we mostly stick to canyons that see lots of wind blowing through them," Yvette explains. "Today is a fairly windy day though, and I couldn't resist wanting to see the bridge from a different angle."

The blonde sky trainer grabs Touko's hand and drags her out of the gate onto the bridge, with everyone else trailing behind the two. "Come on! Usually, we would have people test the suits out in an air room first, but you have that look in your eyes that tells me you'll be a natural!"

Suddenly, Touko doesn't feel so good. Her mind flashes back to her battles as a Precure and how she had failed to activate the wings given to her by Reshiram.

"_I have a bad feeling about this." _

"_**You will be alright, heroine. I am here in case you are in severe danger."**_

Yvette leads Touko to the middle of the bridge and pulls out a Poke Ball.

"Staraptor, come on out!" A grayish-brown avian with an intimidating glare materializes next to the sky trainer and squawks noisily. The crest on its head is well-brushed, the red tip adding to the menacing glow of its crimson eyes. Yvette, as she's petting the Predator Pokémon, unfolds her plans for the heroine.

"First, we're going to create a makeshift wind tunnel to get you used to the feeling of being in the air. Once you feel comfortable enough, we'll see where the wind takes us. Don't worry about dropping into the ocean, though. Staraptor will make sure to catch you if you start falling."

"You're gonna need some help if you don't want to tire out Staraptor, Yvette." The sky trainer turns around to the sight of her fellow companions with a bunch of flying-type Pokémon besides them. Touched by their offer, Yvette nods and instructs her companions on what to do.

Meanwhile, Touko braces herself, hopping onto the railing of the walkway.

"Whenever you're ready, just jump off! We got your back!" Yvette says, giving Touko a thumbs up. The heroine takes a deep breath and launches herself with a massive leap.

She never gets the chance to feel herself fall.

"Staraptor, use Whirlwind!"

The Predator Pokémon, along with the mass of Pidgeotto, Talonflame, Pelipper, and Butterfree, all take to the skies and churn up a series of strong wind currents, creating an invisible blanket that keeps her in the air.

"Spread your arms out, Touko! Keep your back straight!" Yvette coaches. She is already by the heroine's side, ready to lend her assistance to the scrambling heroine. Touko follows the sky trainer's instructions and steadies herself, noting how quickly she is able to hover effortlessly as soon as she changes her positioning.

"That's it! Alright everyone, let's get her moving!"

The hoard of flying-type Pokémon redirects the flow of the wind so that the currents sweep out above the open waters. Gently, Touko's body inches forward, her form wobbly as she struggles to maintain her prone posture.

She exhales a drawn-out gasp as she takes in the view of the vast blue ocean under her. It sparkles with the light of the sun, tiny spots of white that roll along with the waves. Another ship passes by with the intention of crossing under the bridge, and it breaks the calm lull of the water like a chef stirring the lactoderm away from the top of boiling milk. A few Pidove and Tranquill glide near the heroine as they use the wind that the sky trainers' Pokémon are producing to accelerate.

Touko feels the direction of the wind changing, taking her back to the bridge. She turns her body so that the air current can lift her up in the sky. The heroine looks down and giddily smiles at the view below. The bridge stretches out to connect two distinct pieces of land, one abundant with trees and one dominated by a looming city. Its supportive pillars pierce the skies.

Touko knows that walking through Skyarrow Bridge was already an incredible experience, but observing it from high up and with the wind against her body is something else entirely.

She sees a green speck facing her direction. With that brilliant smile on her face, she dives down to get closer.

"N!" she hollers over the rush of adrenaline and wind in her ears. The former king perks up and returns her smile.

"_**Well done, heroine! I feel a sense of pride watching you soar through the skies."**_

"Yeah, I'm having lots of fun, Reshiram! Is this what flying-type Pokémon feel like?"

"_**I cannot say, but the excitement of doing something new...that is something that humans and Pokémon can relate to."**_

...

N clenches his fist several times as Touko attempts to keep herself in the air, even gasping when it looked like she might plummet into the ocean. The first few moments of her in the air had him wanting to soar into the skies himself and drag her back down, but the instant he finishes that thought, he banishes it far, far away.

"_Where are these irrational worries coming from? Touko can handle this herself."_

He forces himself to continue watching her flight. Eventually, the shakiness of her form vanishes, and he sees her flying around the bridge, a hoard of Flying-type Pokémon behind her.

When she calls out for him, her elation hits him full-force, causing his face to light up with a smile. His eyes trail after her as she glides out to the open waters again.

"Still not thinking of trying it out?" an unfamiliar male voice interrupts N's sky show. One of the sky trainers (Orion, he recalls) lands beside him, presumably to take a break.

"No, I'm content watching her from here."

"Seems like she wants you to join her. Or maybe that's just her energy being infectious. Reminds me of Yvette a bit. She always has that sparkle in her eyes whenever she thinks of flying. Kind of hard to believe that there was a time when her wings were clipped."

N raises an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

Orion frowns, the subject clearly a touchy one. "She got into an accident while she was battling an aspiring sky trainer."

"_Staravia, use Quick Attack!" Yvette commanded, gliding above the rookie as she pointed her finger at the opposing Emolga. Her opponent, Clara, also issued an order to her Pokémon._

"_Emolga, Electro Ball!"_

_Knowing full well how effective that attack would be, Yvette instead directed the Starling Pokémon to dodge. Using the speed of its original command, Staravia managed to fly out of the way of the Electric-type attack, but an unexpected gust of wind rushed through the canyon that they were battling above._

_That stray blast of air caught Yvette and dragged her along its course...straight into the Electro Ball. _

_A harsh wail is ripped from her mouth as the electricity surges through her body. She passes out from the pain, and the wind, still holding her captive to its course, throws her against the side of the canyon._

"If it wasn't for her Staravia evolving into a Staraptor right then and there...she would have fallen to her death."

N watches Orion's shoulders deflate as the sky trainer proceeds with the recollection. "The doctors said that there was a large possibility that she won't be able to fly again, much less sky battle. Despite knowing this, she always had a bright smile whenever we visited her. She was always saying things like 'I can't give up yet! My heart still yearns to fly in the sky!' or 'I want to be with my Pokémon whenever we battle.' But we all knew that she was just putting on a brave face. I can't even begin to imagine the amount of despair she must have been going through at the time."

The former king turns his gaze back to the bridge, noting how Touko is back on solid ground, watching Yvette and one of her friends have a mock sky battle.

"Her wish to soar with her Pokémon has been granted with a miracle," N concludes. "She has a dream that she wants to fulfill, no matter what. Just like Touko."

"So your friend is also that kind of person? What is her dream?" Orion questions. Almost instantly, N opens his mouth to answer, but not a single word comes out, leaving him dumbly gaping in silence.

"I don't know…" he eventually mutters out. "All I know is that she has a dream, not what that dream is."

"I see...you are her friend, yes? I imagine friends tell each other what their dreams are."

Orion's words sink N's inquisitive mood. He pulls his cap down as the shame exponentially spreads to every corner of his body. That dreadful thought, like a bomb resting in plain view until its detonator is pressed, is released from the confines of his mind, leaving him incapable of ignoring its presence.

"_Touko doesn't think of me as a friend."_

"She-"

"Orion, did you tell him about my accident? No wonder he looks so down," Yvette chimes in, saving N from descending in yet another dark spiral. She, Touko, and the rest of the sky trainers reconvene with N and Orion, having already finished their demonstration.

"Sorry, Yvette. I just wanted to start a conversation with him, and that's where the topic went."

Touko is now the one who's out of the loop. "N, what are they talking about?" she questions.

"Apparently, Yvette got into an accident while in a sky battle and was hospitalized for a while. Risking your life to battle alongside Pokémon...that is something I have conflicting feelings about. It is admirable wanting to expose yourself to the same dangers of battling in order to be closer to your Pokémon, but at the same time, if you get hurt, then the consequences can be devastating."

"I'm well aware of the risks," Yvette says, overhearing their conversation. "But that accident has only fueled my drive to be a better sky trainer. Even if it's dangerous, flying with my Pokémon is my dream. I won't let something like that get in the way of doing what I truly love."

Touko flashes a smile. Yvette's resolve is similar to hers, and that determination has struck a chord with N. The heroine hasn't noticed until now, but N is slowly opening his heart to care for humans, not just Pokémon. From her...to Mei...and now to complete strangers.

As Yvette scolds Orion for spilling personal information about her to random strangers, Touko's gaze is once again attracted to the view of the open ocean. The bridge's shadow, due to the sun's rotation, casts itself onto the surface of the vast ocean. As Touko rests her gaze on the flimsy outline, an out-of-place shadow manifests on the top of a pillar.

"_Reshiram, what is that…? It looks like a person..."_

"_**This presence...it's-!"**_

Touko immediately whips her head back to catch the unknown figure, but there was nothing there. Just as quickly as it appears, it vanishes into thin air.

"T-That...Are you sure that was one of the Shadow Triad?" Touko whispers to Reshiram, making sure that no one hears her.

"_**I am positive it was them. We must be on our guard, heroine."**_

"But how am I going to do that without giving myself away?!" she hisses.

"Touko! Let's have a battle!" Yvette abruptly calls out to the heroine. She is unable to keep herself from flinching, and Reshiram stops telepathically talking to her.

"U-Uhh..."

"_It's no good! I can't get myself to answer!"_ Touko scrambles to find the right words to respond to the sky trainer, but her mind is blaring red flags, urging her to focus on figuring out what the Shadow Triad is planning instead. Yvette and the sky trainers are all staring at her, seemingly oblivious to her inner plight.

"_**Accept her challenge!"**_

"I-I accept your challenge!" Touko exclaims, latching onto Reshiram's command. Yvette cheers and hypes up her Staraptor, who's eyeing her new opponent with an adamant glare.

As they prepare to take to the skies again, N hides his narrowed eyes with his cap. He had caught the brief moment of panic that she had vainly tried to hide. He hasn't noticed until now, but on several occasions since reuniting with him, she would tense up suddenly as if suspecting to get ambushed.

"_Touko is on edge...just like when..."_

A series of flashbacks take him back three years to their first ever round on the Ferris wheel. Touko was glaring at him, all semblance of polite tolerance gone when the truth about his allegiance spilled forth from his own mouth. Her shoulders were tense, her fingers bent as if she was ready to claw his face apart. His memories then transport him to a fantastical cave crawling with electricity and finally to an air hanger, where he is greeted with the same guarded expression from the heroine.

"_In Nimbasa City...Chargestone Cave...and in front of the Mistralton Gym. Does that mean that Touko has not opened up to me yet? Mei had warned me about this, but..."_

Moments later, the two female trainers are engaged in a heated sky battle.

"Reshiram, Dragon Pulse!" Touko commands. The white dragon inhales and releases a stream of purple energy towards the Staraptor.

"Staraptor, dive and then counterattack with Aerial Ace!" Yvette responds back.

The avian Pokemon executes a nosedive just as her trainer orders, and before her talons can hit the ocean surface, she accelerates back up, too fast for Touko to visually see where the Staraptor is.

"Reshiram, defend!"

Reshiram folds its wings against its chest and braces for impact. The Predator Pokémon crashes against the Vast White Pokémon, inflicting a decent chunk of damage with her attack. While the sky trainers on the bridge all boisterously cheer for their friend, N is observing their battle silently.

"Not bad," the heroine praises. "Here we go! Fusion Fla-!"

She doesn't get to finish her order, for, at that moment, a burst of turbulent wind chases after Yvette and her Staraptor. The wind tunnel is like an invisible worm, writhing as it sucks its victims down. Unable to fight back, the sky trainer screams as she hurtles towards the ocean surface, where an eerily familiar portal opens up under her.

"Oh no, Yvette!" Orion cries out. He and the rest of the sky trainers hop onto the railings, preparing to leap off in order to catch her, but the wind picks up, and the increased power pushes them back to the bridge.

"Reshiram!" Touko screeches over the howling wind. She attempts to fly after Yvette, but she finds herself at the mercy of the violent wind currents, and her body is tossed around as if she's a balloon caught in a tornado. Reshiram unfolds its wings and soars towards its trainer, catching the flailing heroine in its mouth.

The portal finally absorbs Yvette and her Staraptor, and a pillar of dark energy erupts to the sparkling blue sky. Immediately, Skyarrow Bridge is coated with an eerie aura, rendering the people and Pokémon on it immobile. The sky trainers are rooted in place, cowering as they mumble intangible words. N also falls to the floor as the dark energy drags him into the depths of one of his worst memories.

"_There is such a thing as being too stupid! Add it up, and you are nothing more than a warped, defective boy who knows nothing but Pokémon..."_

"_Not again...why can't I…?"_

From the belly of the malicious pillar, a large black bird-like Kugeki emerges. Its face is covered with massive goggles, so large that Touko doesn't know if they're an advantage or a disadvantage for the Kugeki. The stand-out feature of the monster is its wings; they're oddly angled like bent elbows. The feathers are charred black, with some of them peeling off and dropping to the bottom of the ocean.

Right away, Touko can tell that something is wrong. The Kugeki flaps its burnt wings...and instantly plummets. It works its wings harder, and for the moment, the exerted effort is enough to keep it afloat.

Touko hears a voice ring out, a desolate sob that rings with the harsh tone of absolute despair.

"They said that...I can't fly anymore. My body is too ruined to even get out of the hospital bed."

As if Yvette's distorted cries fueled the Kugeki, it releases a gust of heavy wind that threatens to pick up the cars and trucks on Skyarrow Bridge and toss them into the ocean.

It is a pitiful sight. And Touko's tolerance once again reaches its limits.

"Reshiram."

"_**I feel the same way. Let us convert her back to normal, so that she may fly again."**_

"Curing Fusion Orb!" she chants, taking out the luxury ball. One sparkling transformation later, Cure Flare emerges with an adamant expression and an aura of pulsing heat.

"The Heroine of Truth, Cure Flare!"

Unfortunately, the moment the pillar of light that guards her transformation dissolves...she's falling.

"_**Flare, this would be an excellent time to activate your wings. Use your training from earlier!"**_

"Why couldn't they activate right away?!" she retorts back. Nonetheless, the Precure closes her eyes and wills the wings on her lower back to move. They shudder once, twice, like an old toy starting up after being abandoned for so long. Before the magical girl can hit the water back-first, they spring to life, parting the ocean surface as they propel her up. In fact, the sudden jolt skyrockets the magical girl up above the Kugeki with no signs of slowing down.

"Stop! Stop!" Flare pleads to her wings. As if an invisible ceiling had spontaneously spawned above her, her ascent screeches to a halt. She lets out a shaky sigh of relief. Looking down at the pitiful Kugeki, the Precure mentally commands her pinions to take her back down. Thankfully, her descent is much smoother, and soon, she's back to the Kugeki's level.

"I think I got the hang of this...for now. It's like an extension of my body."

"_**Indeed. Despite its appearance, they can be controlled the same way as your body."**_

"I wish you could have told me this sooner. It would have made my life a bit easier."

"_**It seems my short and precise instructions are not clear enough. That is something I must work on."**_

Touko concedes, nodding once. Reshiram is trying its best to assist her, and she can't fault the legendary Pokémon for giving advice she didn't get at first. After all, it's not every day that Reshiram is trying to teach a human how to fly...or defeat unethical fusions of humans and Pokémon.

"_**This Kugeki is different from the others, Flare. It looks weakened, but it is still dangerous. Take care to not injure it too much."**_

"Right, just like with the others. I'll make sure to not underestimate it either."

Flare soars towards the Kugeki, readying a fireball in the palm of her hands. She tosses it, and the fiery orb hits the avian monster directly on its goggles. It screeches and flaps its broken wings, whipping up a miniature storm. Even with Reshiram's powers, Cure Flare finds herself caught in the storm's vicious dance. She tries to fly against the strong currents, but the winds drag her along its mindless path, spinning her until her vision struggles to distinguish which blue cover is the sky and the sea.

"_**Flare, are you alright?"**_

"I feel like barfing, to be honest. Ugh...trying to get close is going to be difficult."

"_**The power of those winds have the potential to sweep the vehicles off of Skyarrow Bridge. We must attract the Kugeki's attention and make it so that it's not facing the bridge."**_

"O-On it!"

Flare glides to her right, shouting as loud as she can so that her voice reaches the monster.

"Hey, over here! Try to catch me!"

The Kugeki coughs out a screech and turns to the sound of her voice. It flaps its broken wings several times to answer her taunt, creating yet another storm of uncontrollable wind. The magical girl inhales, feeling an intense heat building in her lungs. With her blood boiling with Reshiram's flames, she exhales a stream of orange fire. The flamethrower easily breaks through the invisible barriers created from the turbulent winds and sprays against the Kugeki's goggles. While it's distracted from the pain, Cure Flare takes this time to navigate the maze of wind currents in an attempt to close the distance between her and the Kugeki.

"It hurts...everything hurts…" Yvette's warped voice rings out. The wind responds to her cries and swarms around the monster, seemingly shielding it from further harm. The magical girl lets herself follow the edge of the windy cage, riding the currents until she's behind the Kugeki. As she flies by, she observes more of its charred feathers detach themselves from the monster's wings, revealing spots of tan skin. She catches one of those feathers, and it crumbles into tiny ashes. Nothing left but black cinders.

Flare cannot bear to say anything. Forcing someone to experience old wounds again is just too cruel. Of course, the Shadow Triad wouldn't care, so long as their victim's pain is the thing that takes her down.

She spreads her arms out, blue flames licking her fingertips. Tiny wisps circulate with the invisible currents, twirling around the faltering Kugeki. As she charges her signature attack, Flare observes the wind blowing faster, the amount of air circulating around the Kugeki is exponentially increasing to the point where the cage is now visible to the naked eye.

The Kugeki intends to unleash another attack in order to dispel its birdcage...but Flare finishes casting her attack first.

"Precure...Blue Flare!"

The cage of azure embers collapses onto the Kugeki. A wave of heat blasts against her face, carried to her by the scattered wind. The stream of fire that comes afterward vaporizes the abomination, successfully separating Yvette from her Staraptor.

As the icy blue of her attack fades into the color of the blue sky, Flare soars towards Yvette and catches the unconscious trainer with one arm and her Staraptor with the other.

"_**Good work, Flare. Allow me to bring us back to our friends."**_

"To be honest, I wanted to stay in this form for a while and fly around a bit, but since I'm trying to keep this a secret, I guess I'll save it for another day."

"_**Do not worry. I assure you that you will be back in the skies before you know it."**_

"I can't tell if I should be looking forward to it or not."

...

"U-Unghh...huh…?"

"You're finally awake! We were so worried about you!"

"_That's Orion's voice…" _Yvette registers as she finally regains consciousness. Sitting up from whatever she's lying on, the sky trainer finds that everyone has gathered around her, even her Staraptor, who is staring at the tiled floor with downcast eyes. The sun sets in the background, casting a bright orange glow onto the bridge.

"W-Where am I?"

"We're still on Skyarrow Bridge, Yvette," Touko answers. "You passed out when you got caught in that strong wind current. Thankfully, I was able to get you before you plunged into the water."

Yvette rests her gaze onto her trusty Pokémon partner. The Predator Pokémon chirps solemnly, nudging her head against her trainer's chest.

"I see...I must have passed out from shock. I'm sorry, everyone, for worrying you all."

"We don't blame you, Yvette. We were all scared for you," one sky trainer speaks up. The rest of her friends nod their heads, their eyes expressing the fear they had felt.

Yvette pulls herself up and strokes the crown on Staraptor's head. "I think that's enough flying for today, then. How about we get off this bridge and find something to eat?"

Touko and N grin at the way Yvette is able to revert back to her cheerful self. Her energy flows through her teammates, and soon, their worries are dispelled to the wind.

"Are you two going to join us?" Orion asks the two heroes.

"Oh…" Touko trails off, unsure as to how to answer. She turns to N, trying to determine what he wants to do. He catches her stare, and they share a moment of silent communication.

"We should get going," N finally says. "It would be best if we can get to Pinwheel Forest and set up shelter before the sun fully disappears."

Yvette and her group of sky trainers observe their short interaction, their expressions unreadable. Orion, in particular, is doing whatever it takes to shove his amused chuckle back down his throat.

"I don't like the look on your face, Orion," Yvette cautiously says.

"There's no need to give me that face. Hey, N, before we part ways..." Orion calls out to the green-haired man. N tilts his head back, confused.

"Yes?"

"Have a bit more faith in her."

Immediately realizing what Orion is talking about, N merely nods and turns away, his gray eyes narrowing as he juggles the sky trainer's words in his mind. Half-distracted by his thoughts, he starts walking towards Pinwheel Forest, and Touko can only wave at the group of sky trainers before dashing off to catch up to him.

"Bye, Touko! Let's finish our sky battle another time!" Yvette exclaims, waving back at the retreating heroine.

"Of course!" Touko shouts back. "I won't lose!"

Reshiram, having heard the entire exchange, dwells on its own thoughts about the former king.

"_**Something is plaguing him, something he is not willing to share. As Zekrom's counterpart and the dragon of truth, I will draw it out of him so that he can confront it head-on, just like we did before. I must open this conversation with my heroine later."**_

...

Zekrom, from within its ultra ball, observes Mei lie down onto the bed, clearly exhausted by the day's events. She rolls onto her sides and closes her eyes, all of her cheer and vigor draining away in favor of rest and relaxation.

It is something that Zekrom has seen many times since joining her side.

"_**Goodnight, Mei."**_

"Night...Zekrom…" She can hardly utter those words before she crashes and escapes to the dream world. With its heroine asleep, Zekrom takes this chance to collect its thoughts.

"_**Kyurem is finally taking an interest in this new threat. That could be a good thing or a bad thing. Good because if it decides to lend us its strength, we will have an easier time defeating the Shadow Triad. Bad because...it can also choose to hinder us. And Mei is no closer at convincing it to our side."**_

Deep down, Zekrom knows the conditions that Kyurem wants fulfilled in exchange for its help. But with the way its heroine is now...they won't be met anytime soon.

"_**Despite what she thinks of me, I have faith that she can do it. She is the most ideal person to open up Kyurem's heart. Until then...I will stand by her side and offer my assistance. For that is Lord N's wish."**_

**Profile: Lillil**

**Touko's Lilligant and the Flowering Pokémon. She was obtained from a trade with a girl named Dye in Nacrene City. While elegant and formal at first glance, she is actually a mischievous Pokémon who loves fashion and performing for a crowd. Touko spent many days trying to coax the flower on her head to bloom, something that the heroine takes great pride in. **

**She is a menace in battle, capable of fainting any Pokémon who stands in her way. Her crowning achievement is sweeping Ghetsis's entire team by herself, a feat that has made her admired and feared among both Touko's and N's team.**

**Gender: Female **

**Type: Grass**

**Nature: Timid**

**Characteristic: Mischievous**

**Ability: Chlorophyll**

**Move set: Sleep Powder, Quiver Dance, Petal Dance, Giga Drain**


	6. Cure Bolt Takes the Stage!

**Chapter 6: A Pinwheel of Foggy Dreams. Cure Bolt Takes the Stage!**

To N, Pinwheel Forest at night is a mythical place. The tiny river below the main road, despite swarming with hungry Basculin, somehow manages to cease its flow whenever the sun goes down. The trees rustle with a predetermined rhythm as the grass and bug-type Pokémon all scurry to their homes, ready to waltz into the dream world. The trainers traversing the forest's pinwheel shaped geography either have set up camp or have laid down onto the grassy floor. The night sky peeks through the tiny holes of the forest canopy, its darkness not quite reaching the residents protected by the leafy layers.

N leans back against a fallen tree trunk and pulls out a decently sized book from his bag.

"What do you have there?" Touko asks him, squinting at the tiny letters on the binder. Her eyes have not adjusted to the darkness yet.

"This is a book of fairy tales in the Unova region," he replies. "They're rather fascinating in the messages they want to convey. Stories that can only take place in the recesses of our imaginations. Legends are just as engrossing, but there's something captivating about the hypothetical settings that fairy tales create."

The green-haired man notices Touko staring blankly at him, a sign that she's struggling to keep up with his words. In their past interactions, he had never really paid attention to her other than if she directly answered his questions. But after being forced to analyze his own actions together with Mei…

"What do you think? Do you like fairy tales?"

Touko slowly shakes her head. He waits for her to elaborate, but she keeps quiet.

"Why is that?" N insists. She purses her lips and turns her head away with a shrug of her shoulders.

"My mom used to read me a ton of them when I was younger. Even back then, they don't make much sense to me. I guess I never felt that spark of amazement as other people did."

N is intrigued. This is his chance to understand Touko as a person more.

"Can you give an example?"

She hums softly, crossing her arms as she searches for an apt example.

"The only one that comes to my mind is Swanna Lake. In the story, the white Swanna explained to the prince that she can only be human at night, so he should have known that the black Swanna is disguising herself as the white Swanna at the ball. It makes me wonder if his love is genuine, or if he's that inattentive."

N is now the one stunned. Truth be told, that particular fairy tale has been one of the most interesting ones that he has read. The chemistry between the two main leads, the simplicity in its themes, and the various endings that have sprouted since the release of the original story…

"Do you believe that they should have a happy ending or a bad ending then?" N brings up.

The heroine raises her eyebrows as if she would have never considered him asking such a question.

"Well, I want a happy ending for the white Swanna. In almost all of the versions that I've heard of, she's the one who loses everything, even though her sacrifice is ultimately the thing that defeats the evil wizard. I feel bad for her, honestly."

N looks up to the barely visible starry sky.

"And the prince?" he inquires.

Touko sighs. "Truthfully, he doesn't deserve the white Swanna, but he sacrificed himself in the end, so I want to believe that he really loves her."

…

The fog is thick. N struggles to see what's in front of him, swinging his head around for any shadows that can help him guide his way. He can hear the faint trickle of water somewhere nearby. Taking a hesitant step forward, he realizes that he is two steps away from walking into a lake.

He's had dreams like these before. They're murky visions of the future.

N inches forward, his feet ready to sink below the water's surface. Before he can take that step, he registers a shadow forming in front of him. Its shape is amorphous at first like the surface it is standing on. He focuses his dream so that he can decipher the blurry image, and it eventually sharpens into a human form. The figure is slim, feminine, with long hair flowing down to her back.

To his surprise, the fog thickens the moment the shadow stabilizes. Feeling a bubble of annoyance slowly expanding in his heart, he mentally urges the fog to dissolve, but it stubbornly refuses. Instead, it threatens to steal away the enigmatic shadow by slowly covering her form with its misty hands. N senses that the fog is rebelling against him, something that has never happened before. In the past, he's had full control of his visions, and the confidence that came from being able to see his own future was one of the things that fueled his determination.

Ever since his original ideals were proven wrong, however, he hasn't had any dreams of this kind, and for a while, he believed it's because his future is unclear. After all, he didn't know who he was, what his place in the world is.

In that sense, his visions are more like confirmations of his resolution rather than prophecies.

The lack of control brings forth a dark feeling from within N. His mind spins, questioning the unfamiliar conditions of his dream. Is he still doubting himself? Was his ability to see his future waning? Or is there an outside force interfering with his power?

The amount of panic rioting inside of him leads him to desperately cling onto the person hiding in the fog.

"_No!" _he pleads. _"I need to see who this person is! What kind of future is she trying to show me?"_

The mysterious shadow unfolds a pair of wings that N swears haven't been there before. Her hair extends to the back of her legs, and the edges of her outline change, signaling a change of clothes. She tilts her head up and launches herself above the fog. N's eyes struggle to chase after the shadow.

He loses sight of her. His heart calls out to the strange winged girl, the one who contains the answers that he wants.

And in the place where the mysterious shadow first spawns, golden words etch itself into the fog.

_Once upon a time, there was a princess who was turned into a Swanna. She wished to keep her curse a secret, for she feared that the evil wizard would harm the one who will come to love her._

_But is that what she truly feared?_

…

Touko watches N carefully as he munches on his breakfast. His gray eyes are foggy, making them even more unreadable than before. While he greets her with the same smile she knows, she notices something else just under the surface.

"_I see what you mean, Reshiram. What do you think could be bothering him so much?"_

"_**I do not know. The only hint we have are Orion's parting words, but it could also be a completely different issue."**_

"_He was always so open about problems that clearly troubled him. I can't believe I didn't notice until you brought it up."_

"_**What will you do, heroine?"**_

She falls silent. Normally, if this was Cheren or Bianca hiding something from her, she trusts that they will open up to her whenever they need her help. But this is N, and she doesn't know how to best approach him.

Should she press him or wait for him to come to her?

The rest of their morning passes by with an uncomfortable silence. N pays no attention to Touko as he blindly follows the concrete trail. The heroine, on the other hand, attempts to keep herself busy by looking at everything and anything but N, but her gaze keeps coming back to her unusually mute companion. She catches a few Sewaddle scurrying away from a pack of very annoyed Venipede. Several Cottonee are basking in the sunlight, some even venturing out onto the human-made road to mindlessly wave at the trainers. Touko waves back at the cotton-like Pokémon and once again shifts her gaze back to N. He doesn't notice her staring at him.

"_**Heroine, you cannot keep this up. As my champion, you must ascertain the truth from him."**_

She sighs dejectedly. _"I know, Reshiram, but he's been acting so weird that I'm at a loss. When did he start keeping things to himself?"_

"_**That is also something we must find out from him. Nothing will come if you two do not communicate with each other."**_

Meanwhile, N has dedicated himself to deciphering the cryptic dream he had last night.

"_Who was that person? Is she someone that I'm going to meet? And the words that came afterward are trying to retell the story of Swanna Lake. From the words and the silhouette, I can assume that the girl is some variation of the white Swanna. But then the question at the end...am I supposed to find an answer to it? Will my answer lead me to her?"_

"N! N!" Touko calls out to him for a few minutes, steadily increasing her voice until she's practically shouting. He jolts at the last iteration of his name.

"Y-Yes, Touko?"

The sudden thrust back to reality distorts N, and he takes a moment to reorient himself. They're in front of a clearing, its entrance guarded by a line of trees. There's no one around other than the two of them.

"Beyond those trees is Rumination Field..." N mutters. He looks back to Touko, who is now pointing at him.

"I challenge you to a battle!" she declares. Her crystal blue eyes gleam with absolute conviction, and a confident smile stretches to the corners of her cheeks.

N predictably recoils at her abrupt proclamation.

"Now? But why?"

Touko softens her expression, but that grin on her face refuses to leave. "I've been thinking that we haven't had a friendly battle with each other in a long time." He can tell that there is something she isn't saying to him. She tries to play it off nonchalantly, but he knows that she's exposing herself to a landmine.

Between his musings over his dream and the worries that have been rearing their ugly heads more and more often, he finds that her invitation might be the perfect distraction from them. He can hear Zoroark and Vanilluxe wishing to battle against his friend, further cementing his decision.

"Very well. My friends and I are looking forward to witnessing your strength again."

His heart thumps almost painfully against his chest when Touko's smile widens. "My team feels the same way. We've been waiting far too long for this."

…

Touko's Lilligant gingerly grabs two flags, one white and one black, from her trainer's bag and walks to the edge of their battlefield. The rest of Touko's and N's team all stand to the side, eagerly awaiting the spectacle to start. The Flowering Pokémon raises her leafy arms...and slams the flags down, signaling for the battle to begin.

"Scoria, Sunny Day!" Touko commands. The Scolipede charges an orb of light and fires it into the dense forest cover, amplifying the intensity of the solar rays that seep through the gaps. N shifts his cap over his eyes.

"Zoroark, Night Slash!"

Zoroark's claws glow with a malicious purple color. He watches the Bug-type Pokémon steel itself for the attack. The pincers on the Scolipede's head are reared, preparing to catch the lycan-like Pokémon. Zoroark growls once and points to something to his right. As expected, Scoria breaks her concentration and whips her head to her left. The Megapede Pokémon barely registers that she has been duped before a swipe slashes at her face.

Ritsu drops his head down as a bead of sweat trickles down his forehead. Touko's Vanilluxe begins to laugh, while her Zebstrika angrily snaps at the bug-type. Despite the obvious mistake, Touko is chuckling. The Scolipede shakes her head and turns her attention back to the Zoroark.

"Let's give them a taste of their own medicine, Scoria! X-Scissors!"

Scoria lunges forward with speeds that her opponent can't comprehend. The Scolipede, despite her large and bulky body, is able to close the gap between her and Zoroark before her opponent can even blink. Her horns cross against the Zoroark's chest, sending the wolf-like Pokémon down on his knees once she slashes through to complete her attack.

They have only exchanged one round of commands, but already, N can sense that Zoroark will not be able to battle for much longer.

"_I've forgotten just how strong Touko is. Just one attack is enough to make me worry."_

He still has a chance though. Touko herself has given him an advantage, and he intends to use it.

"Can you stand, Zoroark?" N asks his companion first. The Illusion Fox Pokémon shakily rises to his feet, one arm clutching his stomach. He growls once to his trainer, urging the former king to give him his next orders swiftly.

"Flamethrower!"

As if his injuries were suddenly burned away, Zoroark inhales and releases a breath of orange flames at the bug and poison type Pokémon. Combined with the amplification coming from Scoria's Sunny Day, the fire stream bathes the Scolipede in a pool of heat. Heavy burn marks begin to dig into Scoria's thick skin. Despite the obvious pain she's feeling, the Scolipede bravely stands her ground and takes the attack head-on.

Zoroark keeps up the flamethrower for as long as he can, but the attack from earlier catches up to him. He coughs and collapses onto his knees again, the flamethrower now completely halted. While Zoroark struggles to lift his head up, N observes his opponent...and visibly recoils at the smirk on Touko's face.

"Sorry, N. But I don't think that was enough," she haughtily announces. A lime green aura dances around the Scolipede's body as she shoots a glare at the downed Zoroark. She lowers her head, rearing her horns straight at her target.

"And that's where we'll stop," Touko abruptly says, walking up to her Pokémon and spraying a burn heal over the Scolipede's back. The Megapede Pokémon lets out a whine at the sting. N releases the tension from his shoulders and rushes to his heavily injured friend.

"Are you alright?" He asks the Zoroark. His Pokémon friend grunts once, unable to get up from the floor. N pulls out a Sitrus berry from his pockets and hands it over to the dark-type Pokémon. While Zoroark munches on the yellow fruit, N turns his attention to Touko and her Scolipede.

"You did a great job taking that flamethrower, Scoria. I promise I won't make you do something like that for a while," the heroine says, comforting the tall bug-type Pokémon. Scoria shoots her trainer a grateful look. N watches them interact and smiles a bittersweet grin.

"I'm still no match for you," the former king states. Touko shakes her head to object him.

"That's not true. You were able to last longer than most of my opponents, and trust me when I say that I have been training."

"I don't doubt that at all," he says.

"Do you feel a little better though?" she questions. "You've been quiet all morning, and it's nerve-wracking, to be honest."

N widens his eyes as if caught under a spotlight. "What do you mean?"

"I guess...in the past, you've always been so vocal. Seeing you so silent is...unsettling. It's like you're a completely different person." She stares straight into his foggy gray orbs as if she can pull the reason out with just her gaze.

He looks away. In a way, Touko is right. He is a different person than who he was in the past.

But why does that bother her so much?

Before he can explain himself, _her _words echo in his ears again, once again attempting to guide him through this situation.

"_If you want someone to believe you, you need to prove it not just with your words, but with your actions. I'm sure you know this already, but if you want her to consider you her friend, you need to get her to trust you. And one way to do that is to not overwhelm her with your own troubles. Get her to talk about what she likes. Listen to what she has to say instead of interjecting with your opinions like you're trying to persuade you to your side."_

"I...There _is_ something troubling me," he concedes. "But it's something that I need to figure out on my own."

Touko's shoulders visibly slump in defeat. "I see...If there's anything I can do, you just let me know."

Despite the guilt he feels at deflating her mood, his heart throbs at her gesture. "Of course." It'll be worth it at the end. Once he can finally claim that Touko thinks of him as a friend, he'll open up to her about this vision. He has plenty of time to think about it, after all.

"Should we get going then?" Touko asks.

"Yes, I'm fine now." He walks ahead of her, absentmindedly navigating through the maze of fallen tree trunks and thick foliage. A chilly breeze racks his body, forcing a shiver down his spine. Reaching the tiny stream resting in the center of the forest, N turns around to start small talk with his travel companion...but instead, all he sees is fog.

"Touko?" N doesn't hear her answering his call. His heart rate picks up speed. "Touko!" he cries out her name. He backtracks into the mist, gritting his teeth as he slowly loses the ability to see anything other than a murky haze. As he continues to tread aimlessly, he finds that it's getting harder to move forward. Almost as if the fog is materializing...

N then hears a Pokémon singing. The voice is wispy, almost squeaky, but there is an elegance that listeners cannot deny. The song that the Pokémon is singing is ominous, foreboding. The rhythm swings back and forth like a pair of dancers twirling around a stage.

His eyes droop. N's body drops onto the ground. His hand is stretched out against the forest floor, reaching for something.

From the fog, the outlines of a female trainer and her Pokémon, a rather short mouse-like Pokémon with a shawl, can be seen. The girl turns her head away from the unconscious man and runs off towards the center of the forest.

…

Touko is kicking herself for leaving N all alone. Only seconds after Touko and N head towards the forest exit, Reshiram alerts her that it senses a member of the Shadow Triad in Rumination Field. She has only a few moments to decide on what to do.

"_**N has not noticed that you are not following him. What do you want to do?"**_

The heroine lets out a click of the tongue. She faces her team and commands, "Ritsu, everyone. I want you to trail N and watch over him, but do not lead him to where I am. Wait until I find you guys."

The Samurott gives an affirmative nod and growls to his comrades. Touko observes her team chase after the former king...and sweatdrops at the amount of noise they're making.

"We...are so bad at this."

She turns her attention to the small clearing serving as the gateway to Virizion's home. A few trails of fog begin to seep into the dense forest. Touko recalls Reshiram and steps into Rumination Field.

"Hello, Precure," greets Shadow. He's standing in the center of the field in front of a giant cotton Kugeki. The fused monster isn't as tall as the trees surrounding them, but it makes the lack of height up by being almost as wide as the field itself. It's on its hands and knees, spewing the mysterious fog from its back. An out-of-place fedora rests on its head.

Shadow faces his creation. "It's a shame the people here are weak...but at least you are separated from Lord N. He's being retrieved as we speak."

Touko's blood runs cold. She had sent her Pokémon after N, but if the other two members of the Shadow Triad are somewhere in the forest…

"_No…! They could be turned into Kugekis! Not only did I leave N alone...I put my Pokémon in danger!"_

"_**Calm down. I sense a bluff. Remember that they will use anything to unnerve you."**_

Touko stares straight into the eyes of Shadow, intending to draw out the truth. Her gaze, despite being as intense as an inferno, does little to get him to flinch.

"_**I can still hear your team in the forest. They do not seem to be in distress yet. Let us defeat him before his ruse becomes a reality."**_

She hesitantly nods, not entirely convinced. Only when she recalls the trust she has with her Pokémon does she push aside her worries and pull out Reshiram's luxury ball.

"Curing Fusion Orb!"

The thick blanket of fog does little to hinder the pillar of orange light that guarded her transformation. In a burst of orange sparkles and white feathers, Touko assumes her role as a Precure.

"The Heroine of Truth, Cure Flare!"

Her first instinct is to launch herself into the air. She unfolds her wings, but the strange fog that had been coating the forest starts to cling onto the feathers.

"Wait...this isn't fog...it's cotton!"

"_**I see. The Kugeki must be producing cotton that is thin and sticky. Anyone who does not know any better would think it is fog."**_

Flare wills her wings to shake off the cotton, but it adamantly refuses to let go. Even worse is that the more her wings struggle, the more cotton it attracts. Shadow watches her struggle with glee in his eyes.

"That's not the only thing we have in store for you, Precure."

She gasps as the cottony fog condenses, obscuring her vision of the Kugeki. Taking a defensive stance, Flare waits for the first attack. From the white foggy abyss, a thick strand of silk latches onto her arm. The Precure can only gasp as something pulls her closer to the center of the field. Another silken stream catches her other arm, adding to the force that's dragging her. She grips the strands and feels the heat spread to her fingertips.

"_**Wait, Flare!"**_

"_W-What?"_

"_**I just realized that if this fog is cotton, then it will catch fire easily! That means if you use any of your fire-based abilities, the forest will be caught in the crossfire!"**_

Flare snaps her head to the tiny legendary Pokémon with abject horror, commanding the fire in her blood to extinguish. Shadow releases another command to finish off the magical girl, and the Kugeki lifts its head, a horrible mixture of googly eyes and antennas that jut out, serving as the monster's mouth. It increases its sucking speed, feeling little resistance from the magical girl that it had caught.

She is trapped in the worst possible situation. N is going to get kidnapped. Her Pokémon is going to be fused into monsters. And this Kugeki has prevented her from finishing the job at this instant. All she can do is engage in a tug-of-war that will surely end in her in the Kugeki's mouth.

_Rumble. _

Flare hears the roll of thunder.

Shadow loses any smugness he had accumulated from cornering Cure Flare. The sky darkens as if angry at what it's witnessing. The black clouds above threaten to split the Kugeki in half with the wrath of the gods.

"Seems like you're in a bit of a bind. You have a long way to go if this is the best you can do."

Flare registers another voice booming among the thunder. The voice is haughty, cocky, capable. A flash of lightning backs up the mysterious feminine voice.

"Watch closely! Let me show you how it's done."

The storm clouds ring out cacophonously, the rumbling and booming causing Flare's ears to rattle. Shadow looks up to the ominous clouds with his eyes dilating in anger.

"Why is she here?!" the enigmatic member of the Shadow Triad growls out. Flare can feel the stranger's smug grin shining down as if to spotlight just how much of an effect she has on the ninja.

"Precure Lightning Strike!"

A figure hurtles down from the stormy clouds. Coated with golden electricity, the other Precure crashes into the Kugeki. The resulting impact lets loose a wave of lightning bolts that pierces through the black clouds. Her attack clears the cotton fog, and Flare is finally able to see who her savior is.

The first notable feature is her electric blue hair. It flows down to her back, with twin flat buns attached to the sides of her head. A black headpiece with two antennas connects the rolled buns. The back accessory on her waist is vaguely similar to the one Flare has, but her wings are more draconic than majestic. Flare can't see what her top is from the curtain of thick hair, but she can see the black tutu-like skirt that is way too short for her liking. She has a pair of short black boots on her feet.

"I'll get you next time!" Shadow uncharacteristically barks, vanishing away with another defeat in his records. The blue-haired Precure observes the victims of Shadow's experiment, a Whimiscott, a Leavanny, and a Pokémon ranger, gently float down to the forest floor.

"T-Thank you," Flare says, still stunned by the display of power that she had just witnessed. Even Reshiram is speechless, its mouth open as it struggles to form the words that it wants to say.

"No problem," the other Precure curtly replies. "I've heard about you, Cure Flare. I was hoping to see what you were capable of, but I was honestly expecting a bit too much."

Flare can sense a bubble of annoyance climbing up her throat. "Excuse me for thinking about the safety of the forest first." The blue-haired magical girl nods once as if accepting Flare's excuse.

"Fair enough. However, I think this serves as a lesson as to what the Shadow Triad is capable of. I've had a lot more experience dealing with them, so I know most of the tricks that they're hiding up their sleeves."

The orange-haired Precure can't find herself to retort. What she is saying is right.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"_What is this atmosphere? I thought I would be happy to finally meet her, but she's really getting on my nerves."_

"_**Her confidence is from experience, Flare," **_Reshiram butts in, finding its voice at last. _**"We must ask for her aid."**_

"_That was the plan...but I'm starting to think otherwise."_

"I think I should get going," the blue-haired Precure states as she stretches her arms as if she's expecting to exert herself again. "There was a green-haired man knocked out somewhere in these parts of the woods. I would check on him if I were you."

"Wait!" Flare blurts out. "I think we should team up. It won't do us any good if we fight separately. So that's why..." The white-dressed heroine bows as a sign of respect. "Please teach us all that you know."

She waits for her response with her head still lowered. The mysterious Precure pauses, looking over her shoulder at Flare.

"How about we play a game? If you are able to figure out my identity, I will officially join you as an ally."

Reshiram's heroine raises an eyebrow as she lifts her head up. "Is that something that we should be doing? Shouldn't we be coordinating together to defeat the Shadow Triad? I know that I'm still fairly new to all this, but I'm serious about this."

"I will be the judge of that. Once you have proven yourself, then I will tell you everything that you want to know."

Flare grits her teeth. _"Why is she being so difficult?!"_

Reshiram, despite feeling the same way as its heroine, concedes that the blue-haired magical girl has a point. Their performance today is less than satisfactory.

"_**Let us show her what we are capable of, Flare. I, for one, will not back down from this thief."**_

She resists the urge to groan. All of this is a pain, but if it means that they'll eventually fight on the same side instead of never…

"You got yourself a deal!" Flare agrees with a determined tone.

"Good. I hope to see a stunning display next time, Cure Flare."

"Wait, one more thing! What do I call you?"

"You can call me," she pauses for dramatic effect, "Cure Bolt."

Bolt spreads her wings and launches herself above the trees. She flies off, leaving behind a ring of smoke.

"Cure...Bolt…" Flare mutters, testing the name with her voice. Reshiram stares up at the now clear skies.

"_**We should go find N and reunite with your Pokémon."**_

"Right...ugh, I am so conflicted right now."

...

N finds himself back at the mysterious lake, staring at yet another thick layer of fog. The silhouette of the mysterious winged girl is back and in the same position as when she first appeared to him.

"Who are you?" he questions. The princess only shakes her head and wills the fog to grow thicker. N mentally commands the mist to listen to him and reveal who the alluring figure is, but just like his first encounter with the maiden, the fog rebels against him.

"Why won't you show yourself to me?"

She doesn't respond. The shadow unfolds her wings and prepares to take flight again. Not wanting her to leave, N steps into the lake and reaches his arm out to grab her. This time, the mysterious figure turns to him, recoiling away from his grasp. Even with her facing him, he cannot determine any of her features.

N can tell that she was afraid of him. The golden words from his previous dream flashes through his mind.

And right when he figures out the answer, she flies away.

…

Touko finds N at exactly the place Cure Bolt said he would be: near the tiny stream, surrounded by her team. He's already awake, talking to her Samurott about something she can't follow.

"N, are you okay?" she calls out to him. He turns his head slowly to the sound of her voice.

"Yes, I'm alright. Your Pokémon found me unconscious nearby, but unfortunately I don't remember why."

The heroine sighs in relief. "Thank goodness you're all okay. The fog was really thick, so I had trouble finding you guys." N flashes a shy grin as he watches her recall her Pokémon back into their Poke Balls.

"Now, let's really get going," Touko suggests with a strained chuckle.

He nods and trails behind her. Their walk back to the main road and through the forest is once again plagued with silence. Neither of them say anything, each of them preoccupied by their own rampant thoughts.

"_I now know what that vision is trying to tell me," _N dwells on his puzzling dreams again._ "It's a warning. If I meet this person, I will hurt her...but in what way? Not only do I not know who this stranger is, but it's the first time that I am not able to control my prophetic dreams. Just who in the world is she?"_

Meanwhile, Touko is reeling from her encounter with Cure Bolt, unable to swallow down the pill of irritation that has been lingering in her throat ever since her meeting with the haughty magical girl.

With heavy hearts and stormy minds, the two leave Pinwheel Forest, the forest of beginnings, behind them.

…

Cure Bolt hides herself in a nearby groove of the forest, west of the entrance to Skyarrow Bridge. Her transformation peels away to reveal familiar brown hair wrapped into twin buns and a visor. The black top she's wearing reverts back to a white shirt with blue sleeves. Her black leggings reappear, and her yellow shorts replaces the black tutu-like skirt.

Mei takes a shaky breath.

"_**That was quite a bold thing to say to the other heroine."**_

She barely registers Zekrom commenting on her performance. Instead, her knees give out, and her hands had to stop her from fully collapsing onto the thick foliage.

"Ahhhh! I felt like dying!" she wails to nobody. "How could I say such a thing?! This is Touko we're talking about here!" Visible dread lines coat her body as she struggles to accept what she just did.

"_**What you did was entirely your decision. Even if I do not agree with it, you are ultimately the one communicating with them. On another note, I would like to address something else."**_

"Please don't tell me what I think it is…"

"_**I am talking about the name of your special attack. I understand that you do not want to give yourself away so quickly, but 'Lightning Strike?' That is not much better than what the real name of the move is."**_

"L-Leave me alone...it's the best I could do. I wasn't expecting to bail her out this early anyway…"

Mei remains on her hands and knees, the adrenaline from her little act morphing into a sense of anxiousness she hasn't felt since her first time on the silver screen.

"_**This will put your skills as an actress to the test. Let us see just how well you can fool Reshiram's heroine."**_

**Profile: N**

**The deuteragonist of Pokémon Black. Once groomed by Ghetsis, the true leader of Team Plasma, to be his puppet king, N is currently trying to find his place in the world with his newly formed ideals. People who know him would describe him as a kind, noble visionary who can understand the hearts of Pokémon. Despite being raised to distrust humans, he is making an active effort to integrate himself back to society (with some help from Mei). Underneath his calm and calculating facade, N is hiding feelings of inadequacy and uselessness. **

**Age: 21**

**Horoscope: Simipour**

**Team: Zoroark and Vanilluxe**


	7. An Encounter with Uxie!

**Hello! Touko here with a quick message. Thank you for all of the love and support so far! I hope that everyone is enjoying themselves and having fun experiencing my journey as a magical girl. There are a lot of things planned in the future from what I can tell, so please look forward to them. I know I am, even if I was a bit hesitant in the beginning. **

**I would like to take this time to give a shout-out to Akina's editor, a wonderful person by the pen-name: justforfum. He mostly writes in the Elsword community, but he has been a gigantic help proofreading all of the chapters and making sure that everything flows properly. Please check out his magical girl fanfic: Witch of Elysion! It's a very interesting read, and you don't need to know the characters beforehand to fully enjoy the story.**

**Now, onto the chapter! It's time for me to show you what I can do!**

**Chapter 7: Come Abroad Nacrene City's Ghost Train! An Encounter with the Being of Knowledge, Uxie!**

When N and Touko reach Nacrene City later that day, the retreating sun is painting the sky with yet another beautiful layer of orange and pink. The cafe near the west entrance is alive with the banter of customers, while the museum is as quiet and stately as ever.

Having gone through the entire day without saying a single word to each other, Touko and N both jump when their stomachs growl simultaneously.

"Ah…" Touko sighs dryly. N hums in response, also disoriented from the sudden noise.

"We should probably get something to eat. It's been a long day," he says.

The heroine can only nod at his suggestion, especially since right after he says that, her belly once again wails for food. He cracks a smile as she nervously chuckles at her body's eagerness to get fed.

"Let's eat at the cafe! I think they give out a free soda today," she proposes. As Touko drags N into the restaurant, Mei enters the city with a slightly cautious gleam in her eyes. She tosses herself into a bush near the cafe, squinting as she attempts to peek through the open window.

"_**I know what you are thinking, Mei. Do not do it."**_

"But-!"

"_**No."**_

"BUT-!"

"_**No!" **_Zekrom asserts again. Its trainer is visibly close to wailing.

"I just want to see them eat at the same table together! Don't tell me you're not interested because I know you are!"

"_**This is coming from the person who taught Lord N about the rules of society. You will be exposed."**_

"B-But...this is the only time I will ever stalk someone! At least let me feed my never-ending thirst for cute shippy moments of my OTP!"

"_**I did not understand half of the things that you just said."**_

Thankfully, Zekrom's next move, a snarl that rumbles through her mind, is enough to scare her away from wanting to sneak closer to get a better view. Not to mention that no one has heard her one-sided outbursts.

Inside of the restaurant, N stares out the window for a while, almost borderline glaring at the bush within his line of vision.

"N, what's wrong?"

"I feel like someone's watching us. I didn't notice until now but…"

Touko turns her head so that she's seeing the same view as he is. "Really?! I don't see them though...Whoever it is, that person must be a creep. Don't they have better things to do?"

"Yeah, that's what Mei call people like that. She told me that it's best to ignore them."

"I still feel uncomfortable, but I guess that's for the best. So what do you want to order?"

"...Everything on this page."

"N, we don't have enough money!"

Meanwhile, Mei, having heard their conversation, collapses onto the floor and clutches her heart. _"N, you traitor!"_

…

In their dark and quiet rented room, N lays on his bed, wide awake. His gray eyes linger on the low ceiling. Touko is snoring in short bursts, crinkling her nose whenever she starts to get too loud.

He had tried to get some sleep, but he was afraid of falling back into that enigmatic dream. Sitting up and throwing his legs off the bed, N plans to take a walk in order to quell his mind enough for him to pass out. Zoroark peeks an eye open, watching as N puts on his white overshirt.

"Did I wake you, Zoroark?"

The Illusion Fox Pokémon raises its nose up and looks away, laying his head back down. N shakes his head and heads towards the door.

"If Touko ever wakes up, tell her that I went out for a bit."

He shuts the door behind him. Once he steps outside of the Pokémon Center, he is instantly greeted by a gust of cold air. Despite his body shivering from the chilliness, N walks to the abandoned train tracks at the city's southern border. His eyes trail the tracks as it leads into the forest, where its clean, complete state abruptly shifts into a clutter of wooden planks.

"I wonder why these tracks were abandoned," he mumbles to himself. Out of the corner of his eye, N catches a lass looking up at the sky just a few feet away from him.

"Whismicott, do you think it's gonna come tonight?" she asks the Pokémon in her arms. The Whismicott cheers loudly, almost to the point of chanting, and jumps into the air multiple times.

N walks up to the young adult. "Your Whismicott believes that it will," he translates. The lass snaps her eyes to him.

"Wait, you're…" she starts, taking a step back out of shock. N sees it as a retreat.

"I won't separate you from your Pokémon. You don't need to worry about that anymore," he attempts to soothe the stranger. Her Whismicott floats over to N, waving her tiny arms with a carefree smile. The stranger drops her somewhat defensive stance.

"I've heard about you from Touko...before she left the region. You're N, right?"

N's eyes widen. "Yes, I am. Are you one of her friends?"

"Mhmm. The name's Dye. It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

N tips his hat down. Despite being able to steady his voice, he is still surprised by her reaction to him. _"She hasn't shunned me yet. It makes me wonder what kind of things Touko's been saying about me to other people."_

"Umm...Earth to N?" he hears the lass calling out to him. The green-haired man carefully turns his head in her direction.

"My apologies. I just have a lot on my mind."

"Is that so?"

"What are you waiting for?" he asks, redirecting the conversation back to its original topic.

Dye blinks and then turns her head back to the glowing stars. "The ghost train."

"The...ghost train?" he echoes back.

"Mhmm. The rumors say that it's a golden train that can fly in the skies. One of my friends told me that she's seen it before, so I want to see it with my own eyes."

The former king internally questions whether or not this train actually exists. He observes her watching the night sky with her Pokémon with that hopeful twinkle in her eyes.

"Can I help you search for it?" N ultimately asks.

The lass nods excitedly. "Of course! Let's look for it together!"

But despite staying up all night and vigilantly keeping their eyes peeled onto the starry sky, they could not find any signs of a golden train.

…

Touko wakes up the next morning to N slamming the door open and rushing over to her side. She groans once, a clear indicator that she is not taking his loud entrance very well. Her Pokémon, who are also up, flinch in unison, already bracing themselves for her foul mood.

"Touko, there's something-!"

"N, shut up. Your voice is giving me a headache, and I want to kick that door off its hinges. Just give me a few minutes."

As she claims the bathroom, N visibly deflates and collapses to the floor. All of the Pokémon in the room all form a ring around him in order to comfort him. Ritsu, in particular, approaches him and begins to explain his trainer's actions.

"I forgot that she isn't a morning person," N admits, bashing himself for his mistake. "I should wait for her to adjust before I tell her what I've learned."

Touko walks out with both of her hands occupied with tying her hair into a ponytail. When she makes eye contact with N, her eyes soften as the guilt for telling him off kicks in.

"I'm sorry for the outburst, N," she says.

"No, that was my fault. It slipped my mind."

Despite the slightly awkward atmosphere, she is able to crack a grin. "So, what was it you wanted to tell me? It must be pretty big if it got you so excited."

N's gray eyes light up. "I met someone named Dye last night who told me about a golden ghost train that has been roaming around the city. Apparently, it can fly! I very much want to uncover the formula that can make it soar through the skies."

"Woah, woah, woah, back up a second. You met Dye?"

"Yes, I did. She and her Whimsicott got along very well. It reminds me of you in that way."

She dumbly blinks, refusing to answer his question. _"Oh no! The last time I saw her was when I was about to leave the region! And I spilled everything about N to her! I bet she's squealing on the inside now!"_

"A-Ah, I-I'm glad to hear that!"

"While we were waiting for the ghost train to show up, she said that you were actually the one to give her Whimsicott back when it was a Cottonee."

She latches onto the first part of his sentence. "Wait, a ghost train? Here?" Touko questions, looking at her companion as if he's gone crazy. N nods fervently, his mind already set on solving the mystery. She tilts her head, pondering if she should indulge him.

"That sounds really far-fetched…" She sees the innocent drive in his gray eyes and knows instantly that she is not getting out of this.

"Fine. I'm not entirely on board with this, but I guess we should confirm if someone has actually seen it before. Let's go pay a visit to Dye," Touko eventually decides. She recalls her Pokémon, minus her Lilligant.

"Come on, Lillil. I'm sure you want to see her again," the heroine says to the flowery Pokémon. Lillil twirls once and squeaks in agreement, elated to see her original owner again.

…

Nacrene City is a bit of a paradox. Artists from all over Unova often cite the city as an inspiration, even going so far as to claim that all of the latest trends begin there. And yet, the buildings that make up the core of the town are mostly ancient storehouses, refurbished into two-story homes. In fact, the thing that is most out of place is the bright and colorful Pokémon Center. Even the red fabric that hangs over the entrance to Cafe Warehouse is dark enough to blend into the brown and tan townscape.

Touko and N enter one of the transformed warehouses next to the Pokémon Center. They are greeted with a Whimsicott that plows herself into Touko's face. A puff of cotton expels from the Pokémon's body as she collides with the heroine.

"Oof!"

Touko's Lilligant turns away and giggles to herself. The Whimsicott recognizes the high-pitched notes that the flowery Pokémon is releasing and proceeds to pounce the laughing grass-type.

"Touko! You're actually back!" Dye gasps out, quickly running down the stairs to greet her.

"Yep, I am. It's been too long! How have you been?" Touko replies back with the same amount of enthusiasm.

"Great, actually. I'm actually on a journey right now, but after my friend called me about something incredible happening here, I had to come back." Dye shifts her gaze to her right and sees N off to the side, observing the Whismicott and Lilligant chasing each other. The young lass quickly snaps her head back to Touko, pulling the heroine down so she can whisper into her ear.

"W-Wait, you found him?! How did you find him?!"

"A-Ah, y-yeah...By complete chance," Touko mutters back, slightly uncomfortable by their sudden secretiveness.

"That's great to hear! I see why you went looking for him. He's quite the eye candy."

"S-Stop! Y-You know that's not why I was searching for him!" The heroine's face blossoms into a pretty pink color.

"Oh really? I mean, you dropped the title of champion because of one vague hint from the International Police. Who does that?"

"...Okay, fine. Maybe a little, but that's not the main reason!"

Giggling, Dye lets go of the flustered trainer and calls her Whimsicott over, who hops into her arms.

"So, what brings you here today?"

N speaks up before Touko can. "Can you tell us what you know about the ghost train?"

"Oh, I see. Hmm...apparently, it started showing up about three months ago. Aside from being able to fly, it doesn't seem to have a conductor controlling it. That's why we call it the ghost train."

Touko crosses her arms, still skeptical about the whole situation.

"Maybe it just has one of those programs installed that allows for automatic steering. And technology could have advanced to the point where trains can fly."

Dye shrugs. "Well, that's what my friend told me. I didn't get much from her when she called me about it. Maybe Lenora has more information."

"Let's go ask her. Come on, Touko," N childishly urges.

He is already out the door before she can even say anything. Her face slumps with exasperation, already feeling yet another wave of lethargy invading her tired self.

Dye nudges the heroine. "Better go catch up to him if you don't want to get left behind again."

"Hey, that's a low blow!" Touko whines out.

…

When Touko finally reconvenes with N, he's standing in front of the Nacrene Museum, whipping his head back and forth as if searching for something. His eyes are frantic, pacing along with his wild head shakes.

"N, what's the matter?" she questions him, unable to determine what is the cause for his erratic behavior.

"I...I sense something. A great power...but it's unlike anything that I've felt before…" he mutters. His body returns to its usual posture, but the cloudiness in his gray pupils still lingers.

"_**He is correct. There is a Pokémon lingering around here, but it does not want to appear before us." **_

"_A Pokémon? Should we coax it out?"_

"_**As much as I want to, we should not draw it out. Its main objective at the moment is to observe us."**_

"_Sound like you know who it is." _

"_**I do, but that is not important right now. Instead, we should gather more information about this ghost train. There is a possibility that it could be the work of a Kugeki."**_

"_You're taking this pretty seriously. And is that...even possible? It's been appearing in the city for three months now."_

"_**We do not know how long the Shadow Triad have been experimenting with their new power. They may have left victims scattered throughout the region."**_

"_That's...a depressing thought. I hope that's not the truth."_

"_**But if it is, you know what must be done."**_

Unaware of her internal conversation with Reshiram, N turns to the museum with a dissatisfied look on his face. "I know that you're out there. Please do not hide yourself from us."

He doesn't get a response. Narrowing his eyes, the former king holds back the annoyed groan that's forming in his throat.

"Touko, I'm going to try to draw it out. What are you going to do?"

It takes her a moment to realize that she's not going to be swept up in his attempt to lure their mysterious observer out into the open. "Well, I think I should go talk to Lenora. You are still interested in the ghost train, right?"

As if suddenly remembering what their original plans are, N meekly nods. "I'll be here when you come back. I hope you find out something new." He closes his eyes to end the conversation, focusing on pinpointing the power signature that he had sensed earlier, even going so far as to strike his signature pose. Touko assumes that him spreading his arms out is to help him better perceive where the Pokémon went.

She is unable to stop her mind from thinking about how ridiculous he looks.

…

"Lenora, there's a visitor for you," her husband, Hawes, announces to his wife as he peeks down from the top of the stairs that leads to her office. Lenora gets up from her seat in order to properly greet her visitor.

"Welcome to the Nacrene Museum! Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes, there's something I want to ask you, Lenora," Touko requests, swiftly making her way down the stairs. Lenora's face lights up when the heroine strolls up to her desk.

"This is quite the surprise. Welcome back to Unova, Touko."

"Thank you. It's good to be back," the trainer replies. "I'm surprised that you retired from being a gym leader though. So that's who Cheren replaced."

"That's right. I've decided to work on my research more, but I'm always up for a battle. Is that why you're here today?"

Touko shakes her head. "Actually, no. I've been hearing about a ghost train that's been lurking around this area. Do you know anything about it?"

Lenora clutches her head as if reminded of yet another bothersome task. "Yes, the ghost train. It's still as much of a mystery as when it first appeared. But I did see it one night while I was strolling with Hawes. It kept crashing into something large, larger than the trees surrounding the city."

The heroine frowns. Something large? "Can you give me any details about what that thing is?"

"I wish I could say more, but even with the light emitting from the ghost train, I could not see anything other than its glowing red eyes. Its body might have the ability to block out light. I've been wanting to investigate more, but the train has been one elusive phenomenon."

Touko sighs with the archaeologist. At least that's something. "I see. In that case, I should get going. I'll let you know if I find anything."

"Actually, Touko, since you're visiting anyways, why don't you make yourself comfortable and tell me about what you've learned on your journey? I would love to hear more about the different regions in this world," Lenora suggests as she gestures over to a spare chair in the room. The trainer looks hesitant at first, but after seeing the fascinated sparkle in the researcher's eyes, she ultimately relents.

"Where do I begin…? It all started when Looker told me that one of his sources had seen someone that looked like N with a black dragon heading towards Kalos…"

…

Touko strolls out of the museum a few hours later. She had only told the story of her travels to Bianca and Cheren on the first day that she returned to Unova, before she miraculously found N at the Nimbasa Ferris Wheel, up until now, but the amount of things that she had seen and done still amazes her. Once she sat down and spilled everything, it was hard to believe that there were so many things in the world to experience.

As she takes in her surroundings, she realizes that N is nowhere in sight.

"Where did he go? He said that he'll still be here. But then again, I did spend several hours in there," Touko says to herself as she takes a quick peek to her right. Taking a step forward, the heroine is then alerted to a spike of power. A vision flashes before her eyes. She sees N standing on broken train tracks next to a white fence, gaping at something. As soon as her mind registers where exactly her companion is, the image shatters away.

"_**Heroine, are you alright?"**_

"Y-Yeah...what was that?"

"_**It was from the Pokémon that was observing us earlier. The power I felt just now is the same as before."**_

"Well, only one thing to do…" Touko heads back onto the path that leads to Pinwheel Forest. Instead of entering the woody area, she slips through the small gap to the left, crossing into a grove where several children are running back and forth on several wooden planks.

The trainer follows the trail of incomplete train tracks until she discovers N facing a small levitating Pokémon. Despite its eyes being closed, it is clearly conscious, keeping its head turned to N. It has a yellow head shaped like a helmet with a red gem in the middle of its forehead. Thin arms and short legs are attached to its gray body, and a pair of leaf-shaped tails extends from its bottom.

The Pokémon recognizes her before N does. It drifts over his shoulder to greet her, which she returns with a smile.

"Hello again, Uxie. What are you doing here?" The psychic-type Pokémon points to N, who is gaping at Touko's casual statement.

"You know Uxie, Touko?"

"Mhmm," she affirms, "When I went to Sinnoh, I visited all three lakes and met their guardians. Reshiram and Azelf got along pretty well actually."

"_**That is because we both agree on the strength of your willpower," **_the Vast White Pokemon mentally butts in. Touko chooses to ignore it.

N's gray eyes sparkle with boundless excitement. "How wonderful! Then you know about how Uxie is the being that gave humans knowledge. Apparently, it wandered to this city after meeting a trainer on Route 20." As Uxie circles around Touko, N asks, "Ah, right. Did you learn anything from Lenora?"

"Yes, quite a few things."

"I did as well, thanks to Uxie's help. Let's exchange what we've found."

A few moments later, the two manage to draw a basic image of the situation. Uxie looks expectedly at the heroine once N finishes sharing his information.

"Let me see if I got this right," Touko begins her recap, "Three months ago, a giant shadow appeared near the city and began terrorizing the nearby forest. Uxie, wanting to do something about it, created a ghost train to fight against the monster who was trying to invade the city. However, no matter what it did, Uxie's attacks aren't dealing any damage whatsoever."

N nods in agreement. "That's right. Apparently, the giant shadow only shows up when there's a new moon, but the danger it poses to the people and Pokémon here is very concerning."

Uxie hovers away from them and deeper into the grove, gesturing with its tiny arms to follow it. As they head further into the forest, Touko and N notice the giant footsteps littered across the area. Many tree trunks are lying around, turning the straightforward path into a maze. Many piles of dead bark are scattered along the rampaged path. The stairs leading up to the cliff are flattened, and the two heroes struggle to climb up the rocky face.

From the top of the cliff, they see how the destruction cuts off at the train tracks as if there's an invisible barrier. Below that line, the grove is inhabitable. Some of the fighting-type wild Pokémon are moving the fallen trunks while a group of Tympole mourns the loss of their watery homes.

Touko's heart aches at the sight. N sees the hurt flashing across her face and frowns with her. She turns around to observe the area more, and she finds the Challenge Rock, or rather...she finds what's left of it. The popular training spot for fighting-type Pokémon is marred by a giant hole where the giant rock used to be. They look down the pit for remnants of the boulder, but there was nothing down there except tiny pebbles.

"This is terrible. Even though Uxie is trying its best to hold off the shadow, it won't be able to for much longer…" Touko concludes. "And so, Uxie has been searching for someone with the power to defeat the monster. But why us?"

The tiny psychic-type Pokémon mutters something to N. His eyes turn a chaotic shade of gray. "Uxie says that it senses something from you. A power that it thinks is capable of defeating the giant shadow."

Touko feels a cold bead of sweat trickle down her neck. Does Uxie know that she can use Reshiram's power? It wouldn't be such a stretch, considering that it's the being of knowledge. If that's the case, can she convey to it that she doesn't want N to know about her powers without him growing suspicious of her?

She can feel Reshiram scrambling to find a solution.

"_**I highly advise that you let me communicate to Uxie."**_

"_No, please. You've done more than enough. My decision to not tell N is mine alone. I'll think of something. Besides, I can't risk N hearing the two of you."_

The Vast White Pokémon falls silent. She stares directly into Uxie's closed eyes.

"I'll help you, Uxie. You can count on me."

Touko begins a stare down with the pixie-like Pokémon. From the sides, N views this as a statement of determination. To her, she's praying that Uxie can sense what she's trying to communicate to it.

Uxie opens its mouth, possibly to gasp. Then it sagely nods its head and floats over to Touko's hand, where it wraps its tiny hand around her pinky.

N sees this as their bond growing closer. Touko sees it as her gaining a new accomplice.

"_**You know, this opens another problem. N is voluntarily putting himself in danger to help Uxie. I thought the point of keeping this secret is to protect him from what the Shadow Triad is planning."**_

Reshiram has a point. If she tells N to stay out of this, then he will resist, and his probing will draw out the truth from her. She doesn't want N to learn of the Kugekis so soon, but at the same time...

"_We...have to let him. I know better than anyone that N won't sit still when Pokémon need his help. That's who he is, and I don't want him to forgo that part of him."_

"_**So, that is your decision."**_

"_Yes. I'll make sure nothing happens to him."_

…

The new moon doesn't come around for another two days, so the two heroes spend that time strategizing. The first night, Uxie summons the train for them, which draws the attention of several townspeople.

A tall exhaust pipe springs forth from the front car. The circular emblem at the front sits on top of the mouth-like structure that serves as the bumper. Upon further inspection, Touko sees that the mouth is open, and that it leads to a cavern of darkness that stretches underneath the conductor's room.

"Woah...so it really exists," Dye exclaims as she takes in the sight of the golden locomotive. Lenora and Hawes both stare on in silence, awestruck by its glorious form. N is the first to enter the train, and he immediately sprints his way to the conductor's room. Touko and Dye casually stroll behind him, taking in the golden furniture of the passenger cars.

"Everything here is golden! Look, even the flowers and the lights!" the Whimsicott trainer points out. She plants herself onto one of the seats, while her Pokémon bounces next to her.

"What an amazing sight! As expected from a legendary Pokemon," Lenora comments. Uxie hovers close to Touko's side, peeking at the gym leader over the heroine's shoulder. She lightly pats the small psychic-type Pokémon.

"Take your seats, everyone," Touko announces. "We're about to take-off soon, and I apologize in advance if the ride is bumpy at first."

"Where's the fun if it's smooth sailing the whole way through?" the former gym leader bellows out. Her carefree attitude scares several of the passengers, who are now doubting the safety of the whole procedure. Their mouths spring open, and some of them glance at each other with hesitation in their eyes. With an exasperated shake of her head, Touko heads towards the conductor's room, where N is tentatively peering at one of the levers on the control center.

"You think you got this, N?" the heroine questions hesitantly.

"Yes, the controls are similar to the toy train that I had before. Now, I believe this is the lever to start it up…" He pulls up the crank that he's been eyeing, and the train roars to life. Several puffs of smoke erupt from the exhaust pipe. The wheels whirl slowly, picking up speed.

"We're about to take off," N hollers into the telephone that connects to the speakers of the passenger car. As if struck by a giggling curse, Touko bends down and clutches her stomach in an attempt to control her sporadic laughter. Startled by her sudden mood shift, the former king looks at her curiously.

"You know what you need to say, right?" she manages to chuckle out.

"Ahh...Yes, I think so?"

Touko stops laughing, but that playful grin on her face stubbornly refuses to leave. "Well, Mr. Conductor! Take it away!"

For reasons he cannot comprehend, N feels heat rushing through his blood. He pulls the phone to his lips again and exclaims, "All aboard!"

The tiny wink of hesitation in his voice creates yet another wave of giggles to escape Touko's mouth. N pulls up another lever, and the train lifts off from the ground, shooting straight over the trees. She peeks her head out of the window and sucks in a breath of air. Nacrene City lingers below them, their buildings neat and organized next to each other. The forest surrounding the city cages the small town within its woody borders, making the contained pocket of civilization stick out like a sore thumb.

"Ahh...!" she breathes out, completely speechless by the revelation that they're really flying.

N finds that he's trying to get a better look of Touko's awestruck expression. Snapping back to the control panel, he attempts to focus on controlling the train, but his eyes occasionally shift to his side, wanting to get another glimpse of the sparkle in her eyes.

...

On the night of the new moon, the residents of Nacrene City anxiously await the fated monthly battle between the mysterious monster of darkness and the city's defender. N nervously adjusts his cap as he checks the status of the train once again.

Meanwhile, Touko has planted herself in the hidden room inside of the mouthpiece. Uxie stares at the heroine as she eyes Reshiram's luxury ball.

"I want to say thank you, Uxie. I'm super grateful that you understand the circumstances regarding...my powers," Touko says as she turns her attention to the psychic-type Pokémon. Uxie nods once, as if acknowledging her gratitude.

"Can I ask you to guide N? I think I'll be able to take this down by myself."

The Knowledge Pokémon teleports out of the dark room after another nod. Touko hears the engine ignite and the exhaust pipe playing its tune of chugs and toots. The floor presses against her feet, signaling that they're already taking off.

"_**This is the first time that you are fighting alongside N, heroine."**_

Reshiram's astute observation catches her off guard.

"It...is. Not in the way that I would want to, but yes, that's right. What about it?"

"_**I assumed that it would help you calm your nerves. Your mind is a whirlwind right now."**_

She heaves out a sigh. "I'm still worried about getting caught. Sure, Uxie is helping out, but N can be very persistent. On top of that, we don't even know if what we're facing is a Kugeki."

"_**Your worries are valid, but do not worry. He will be occupied with controlling the train, so there is a low possibility that he will spot your transformed self. And I can assure you that no matter what, we will defeat this threat, whether by your hands or mine."**_

The dim forest cover blackens to darkness, blotting out what little light the tiny room had. Disoriented by the sudden cover, Touko takes a few shaky steps to steady herself. The train jerks once as if trying to steer around something.

"_**W-What exactly is this?"**_

"W-What do you mean?" Touko sputters back. What happened to Reshiram's confidence? What exactly are they dealing with?

Whatever the legendary Pokémon is feeling, it's buried underneath a sense of urgency.

"_**Transform now. We're going to have to give it our all."**_

"_Even more than we already are?!" _

Touko raises the luxury ball in her hand, mentally preparing herself for a long battle. "Curing Fusion Orb!"

…

N struggles to comprehend the specter that has spawned in front of him. It easily towers the surrounding forest, with bulky arms that can instantly smash Nacrene City to dust. Even with the brightness of the ghost train, he cannot see anything except for the monster's outline and the glowing red dots on its face. Just as Uxie had said, the stars are no longer visible in the night sky, leaving only a blank canvas of darkness.

"This is what you've been fighting, Uxie…?" he gasps out, tightening his grip on one of the levers. The Knowledge Pokémon merely nods and points at the shadow.

"You want me to find good angles for Touko to attack from? Even though I've learned how to operate this train, one hit from that will send us crashing down…"

Uxie's stare beats down onto the former king as if questioning if he's hesitating now. He shakes his head and pushes the lever forward, driving the train towards the giant monster. The shadow acknowledges that its enemy has once again come to challenge it by launching its right arm towards the accelerating locomotive.

N shoves another lever down. The abrupt dive is barely enough to avoid a crash collision with the monster's fist. He quickly shifts the train back on its course to circulate around the shadow to its back. The train groans once it reaches the neck, and a burst of fire explodes from its mouth. Wailing from the burn, the specter flings its left arm back as if swatting a fly. N maneuvers the train to fly just over its open palm.

Another flamethrower is blown at the monster's arm. Instead of trying to swat the flames away, the specter slams its palm down, breaking the train in half. An eruption of golden light bursts from the impact, and the disconnected cars dissolve into the night.

Uxie cries out as it shudders in the air, its strength sapped away from that one attack. It drapes itself over N's shoulder in order to steady itself.

"Uxie! Oh no…" The former king reaches over to pat the legendary Pokémon, but Uxie lets out a battle cry, expanding energy to strengthen the train's defenses.

"_Uxie's telling me to focus on the fight," _N thinks to himself. _"It's counting on me and Touko to finish this."_

"Hang in there," he says as he navigates the train closer. The mouthpiece opens wide and releases a stream of large orange fireballs that pelts against the shadow's main body. Each one sparks a mini explosion, and clouds of smoke soon drift up from the battered monster.

The specter roars once more and tries to pummel the train again with another punch, but N swiftly flicks several levers and drives the train upwards. Its fist brushes against the back car, setting off yet another explosion of sparkles.

He can tell that the train is slowing down. Having already throttled the lever that should have brought them back down, N instead finds that they're drifting in the air, as if out of fuel.

"No! No! We're going to-!" The floor under him sharply presses under him and upsets his balance. Uxie screeches as he is launched into the air. His head hit the ceiling, and a splitting headache consumes his rational mind. Gritting through the pain, he manages to pull himself onto the control panel and hang on onto a lever as he desperately tries to think of a way out of the situation.

…

Cure Flare is breathing heavily, her lungs burning from the extra effort she had put into her attacks. The sudden punch from below has forced her to activate her wings, and even after recovering from the scare, her heart is bashing itself against her chest.

She feels the wind whipping her hair wildly. The train is plummeting towards the monster, specifically the fist that is currently charging up and getting ready to bash its way into the hidden room behind the mouthpiece.

"_**Flare, Uxie told me that N was almost knocked out by that last attack. He is barely able to stand."**_

That only accelerates the pace of her heartbeat. "I-I have to finish this quickly!"

"_**Do not be so hasty! We have not done enough damage to finish it off!"**_

"Then I'm going to break my limits right here and right now! I'll finish this in one strike!"

As if responding to her resolute determination, the pack on her waist suddenly glows with white light. She is then transported to the realm of orange fire and white feathers, where she feels something attempting to come out from the bag on her back. A white turbine similar to Reshiram's tail pops out and switches itself on. The temperature rises as she is bathed in an orange aura. The energy swirls out as she extends her hand, and strands of fire congregate into one giant fireball.

"Precure!" Flare hollers. "Fusion Flare!"

A storm of fire and feathers accompanies the raging sun that she launches out of the train's mouth. The train groans and strains its mouth open like a person eating the spiciest pepper in the world. The giant shadow meets the attack with its clenched fist. Even though it was successful at stopping the fireball from swallowing it whole, the heat of the attack burns its fist red. The specter roars, its mouth gaping wide at the expanding fiery sphere.

Flare's aura burns brighter as threads of fire feed themselves to the miniature star. With one last burst of energy, she gives one last push to defeat the monster.

"ENGULF IT!" she screams.

Her attack, which is now as large as the shadowy monster, swallows its target whole. She spends the remainder of her power to contain the explosion, keeping the specter within its fiery grasp. Despite her best efforts, a ring of trees is instantly vaporized. The shadow burns away and separates into a group of many Scrafty. They begin to fall, but before they can reach the forest floor, a pink aura surrounds them and slows their descent.

"U-Uxie…" the magical girl mutters out. Her transformation is abruptly undone as her eyes begin to droop. The train dissolves into yellow sparkles, revealing a now unconscious N. Touko tries to reach out to him, but her body, drained from pushing itself past its limits, refuses to let her move her hand. They both plummet from the sky, and the last thing Touko sees before she passes out is the red gem on Uxie's forehead glowing brightly like the stars above them. A gray object with a sharp yellow tip lands next to the passed out heroes.

From within Pinwheel Forest, Cure Bolt observes the fight with a hidden grin.

"Well done, Flare. A wonderful performance. Looks like I don't need to interfere," she applauds.

…

N wakes up before Touko does. When he attempts to sit up, a sharp pain erupts from a spot on his head. He feels his head, and when his hand brushes against a sore patch, the pain grows exponentially.

"_Oww...what happened? And where am I?"_

His gray eyes scan the room that he's in. It appears that he's back in their rented room, but there are a few people gathered around their beds.

"Had a nice nap, N?" Lenora casually asks. He stares blankly at the archaeologist.

"I guess." It was the only thing he can say. He winces when another spike of pain hits his head.

"Here, drink this," Dye offers him a glass of water, which he greedily drinks down. Lenora takes a peek at Touko's bed, frowning as she watches the trainer's slow breathing.

"How long have I been out? And where's Uxie…?" he mumbles.

"Almost a whole day. Uxie is under Nurse Joy's care at the moment," the former gym leader answers. Abruptly, the door to their room slams open, and Mei rushes inside, panting heavily.

"N, I heard about everything from Lenora! Are you alright?!" He flinches when her loud voice worsens his headache. Now he understands partly why Touko is grouchy in the morning.

"Yes, I'm okay for now."

Mei breathes out a shaky sigh. "That's a relief. I came here as fast as I can."

N turns to the sleeping heroine. "I'm surprised that I'm up before she is. I did bang my head against the ceiling of the train."

Dye sadly looks down. "For some reason, her body is completely drained. She's perfectly fine, but she needs a lot of rest. At least, that's what Nurse Joy said."

Through the throbbing pain, his mind begins to whirl. Why is she completely exhausted when it was Reshiram who was firing the attacks?

…

It takes three more days for Touko to fully recover. While she was resting, N and Uxie survey the nearby area to see the extent of the damage from their fight. His heart lurches at the destruction. Even though Uxie had warned the resident Pokémon to retreat to Pinwheel Forest, having their homes destroyed is never a good feeling. He vows to find them new homes before he continues on his journey, and he is quickly joined by the citizens of Nacrene City along with Mei.

By the time Touko is able to stand on her own again, most of the homeless Pokémon have taken temporary refuge in Pinwheel Forest while the city kick starts a large project to restore the area destroyed by the battle.

"I'm glad that everything will be okay for the Pokémon who lost their homes. Even though I couldn't see any other way to defeat that large Pokémon, I still feel a bit guilty," Touko says, rubbing her ponytail nervously.

N shakes his head. "If we didn't defeat the giant Pokémon, Nacrene City and Pinwheel Forest were going to be destroyed by it. That's the reason why Uxie fought so hard up until now. It must have used most of its strength to defend the city."

The two face the gate leading to Route 3. Before they can leave, Dye and Mei catches up to them, with the Whismicott trainer calling out to Touko. Uxie trails behind the two female trainers.

"Good luck on your journey, Touko!" Dye says, giving her friend a farewell hug. While they exchange goodbyes, N turns his attention to Mei.

"Are you sure it's alright for me to continue my journey with Touko? I still want to help the Pokémon whose homes got destroyed…"

Mei flashes a smile. "Of course it's okay! Lenora is overseeing the restoration efforts, so the Pokémon are in good hands. In fact, it was Lenora who wanted you to leave it to them, right? She said that you two have done enough for the city."

He seems conflicted, the storm in his eyes slowly brewing. Uxie hovers over to his eye level and speaks a few words to him.

"You'll watch over them?" he translates. The Knowledge Pokémon sagely nods, and just like that, his worries disappear.

"Very well. I trust that you will."

Uxie then glances at Touko, who is already waiting for N to finish his conversation with the psychic-type Pokémon. The heroine raises her eyes as if a random thought came to her mind.

"Before we go, I just have one question for you, Uxie," the heroine begins, "How come, out of all of the things to materialize your powers into, why a train?"

Uxie tilts its head before pointing at the abandoned train tracks. N patiently waits for Uxie to finish its explanation before interpreting its words back to Touko.

"It's saying that seeing the incomplete train tracks inspired it. After lingering around Nacrene City for a while, it learned more about the region and its culture. For Unova, trains have always been important to its history. So when the giant shadow first appeared, Uxie created a gold train to serve as a beacon of hope."

The Knowledge Pokémon speaks up once more before the red gem on its forehead begins to glow. An identical jewel materializes before the heroine, gently floating down into her palms.

"This is…?" Touko hesitantly questions. N translates Uxie's words with a hidden curiosity.

"Uxie said to use it whenever you are in a pinch, but why would you need this…?"

Mei sees Touko tense up. The look in the heroine's blue eyes pleads for anything to save her from her predicament. "I'm sure that's just Uxie's way of saying thanks, N," the perky trainer jumps in. N misses the way Touko's shoulders slump in relief.

"Ahh, I see. Touko, use it well."

"Y-Yeah, thank you, Uxie. I'll be sure to use it at the right time," Touko manages to respond back as she places the red jewel in her bag. Uxie circles around the two heroes one last time before waving its tiny hand.

"Bye Touko! Bye N!" Mei shouts, waving at them excitedly.

"Bye Uxie! Bye Mei!" Touko hollers back. N, in contrast to his louder counterpart, settles for a small wave.

"Once my journey with Touko is over, I'll come visit and assess the city's progress, Uxie."

Once they enter the gate, the trainer from Aspertia City turns to Uxie with a slightly guilty glint in her eyes.

"I can't thank you enough for keeping the Kugeki at bay," she says. "It must have been rough, considering that it was fused with a dark-type Pokémon."

The Knowledge Pokémon merely nods at the actress. Mei and Uxie walk over the train tracks into the blasted area. The young trainer scans for something that stands out, and she finds the strange object that flew after the giant shadow was defeated. She opens her bag, revealing a pile of items that look identical to what she picked up, and gently places the mysterious object inside.

**Profile: Uxie**

**The Knowledge Pokémon. Its home is actually in Lake Acuity in the Sinnoh region, but it had traveled to the Cave of Being in Unova after the events of Pokémon Platinum. It was drawn to Nacrene City after meeting Mei and Professor Juniper because of the city's museum and library. Uxie is a calm and patient legendary Pokémon and likes observing things from a distance. As the being that granted humans knowledge, it is naturally interested in history.**


	8. Cheren and Cure Flare's Tag Team!

**Chapter 8: Wishing at the Wellspring Cave! Cheren and Cure Flare's Tag Team!**

_The night before N and Touko leave Nacrene City…_

The sound of frantic footsteps breaks the silence of the normally peaceful Route 3. Some of the wild Watchog observe a young boy around nine years old making a mad dash away from a preschool that's settled on top of an elevated plateau. A white wish tag covered in messy handwriting is tightly clutched in his hand. As his feet carry him to the giant cave at the northwestern corner of the route, a nervous Panpour scurries after the child.

"Panpour, let's hurry before the teacher finds out that we snuck out," he urges the hesitant Pokémon. The water-type skittishly looks behind its back before catching up to his trainer. As they hurry past another patch of tall grass, the little boy glances down at the white paper in his hands with an expression of determination.

"_I'm going to make my wish come true...and then I won't feel so lonely anymore."_

The child enters Wellspring Cave fearlessly, flicking on the tiny flashlight that he had snatched from his teacher's desk. He strolls underneath a group of sleeping Woobat to a dimly lit, L-shaped lake. The body of water, once exposed to the small speckle of light, shimmers with a brilliant blue color that slices through the dark veil covering it.

Panpour hops into the water and waits for the boy to climb onto his back. They cross the lake and venture further until they reach a set of stairs that leads to the bottom floor. The little boy heads down first, and as he descends deeper into the void, his hand fumbles with the flashlight's switch, pushing it up until it expels its maximum capacity of light.

He can't see anything other than what's in front of him, but despite that, he navigates the area with practiced familiarity. The little boy crosses the small land bridge that cuts the tip of the C-shaped lake off from the rest of the body of water. Continuing his way north, he squeezes his way through the narrow passageways until his flashlight lands onto the elevated platform at the most inner part of the cave.

The light rests on a stone statue of the Wish Pokémon, Jirachi. Its sleepy expression is peaceful; unbothered by the spotlight cast upon it. Two white tags are attached to its head, which is in the shape of a three-pointed star. A bowl full of identical sheets of paper sits under its feet.

The child, after crossing the lake with Panpour, rushes up to the statue and sticks his tag onto its head, completing the trinity of wishes.

On the crumpled note, it reads:

"_I wish for a home. Doyle."_

Doyle turns around and begins his journey back to the preschool. But, before he can descend down from the elevated platform, the slit on the statue's stomach opens, and a dark portal activates.

The child gasps. The flashlight flies out of his hands, and darkness settles over the cave again.

...

Ever since leaving Nacrene City, the two heroes have not spoken a word to each other. While Touko is simply content with familiarizing herself with the landscape of Route 3, N is staring off into the distance again. As they cross the bridge stretching over the lake that makes up a large portion of Route 3, Touko breaks the silence.

"If I remember correctly, there should be a daycare and preschool on this route. I wonder how the old couple is doing."

"Touko," N abruptly calls for her with a firm tone.

"Hmm, what's the matter?"

"...Shouldn't you be worried? Doesn't it bother you that we have no idea what that giant specter was? It could be a new threat plaguing Unova, and I can't ignore it if it is."

The heroine turns herself away, initially unable to answer him. The only reason why she isn't dwelling on the matter is that she knows exactly what it is. Or at least, she knows how to defeat it. And she's not ready to explain that to him. Not yet.

She carefully plans out her response. "I am worried. It's true that we don't know anything about the shadow that we fought. But, I'm not going to let that worry consume me. If another one shows up again, then I'm going to do what needs to be done. For now, though, I want to focus on my journey with you."

Touko sees a storm brewing within N's gray eyes.

"I don't fully understand," he eventually says, "But I want to trust your judgment. You're not the kind of person who would stand idly when the region's in danger."

The heroine flashes a confident grin. "Don't worry, N. You can leave it to me."

Her answer seems to placate him for now. He has that distant gaze again, but his focus is now on the frolicking wild Pokémon. They approach a branching pathway, and before the two heroes inevitably spark a small argument on which way to go, Touko hears her name being called.

"Wait, that's…" She turns around and finds Cheren jogging up to them, his breath coming out in little puffs of air.

"Thank goodness you didn't get that far," he wheezes out.

"Cheren, what are you doing here?"

The gym leader points in the direction of Nacrene City. "Lenora sent Bianca a call asking for help with restoring the nearby areas, and I was basically dragged along. But when Lenora told us the full story, I had to make sure that you're alright."

Despite his apparent concern, Touko is sporting a teasing smile. "You know I won't go down that easily!"

Cheren shakes his head as if pushing away a potential headache. "Still...you shouldn't be so reckless. Anyway, I should get back to helping Lenora. The damage is pretty-!"

Before he can finish, they see a woman wearing an apron running up to them. Her hands are trembling, and the bags under her eyes suggest that she's missing a few precious hours of sleep. Cheren recognizes her as one of the volunteers working at the preschool.

"Can you guys help me, please?" she pleads. "One of the kids from the preschool has gone missing, and we can't find him anywhere."

"Please calm down, miss," Cheren steps in. "We can help you, but we need to know the situation first." While the gym leader attempts to pacify the rightfully anxious caretaker, Touko notices that a group of kids are hanging around at the base of the stairs leading up to the daycare and school. One of them, a little girl around eight years old, is looking away and clenching her fists. The action, while barely noticeable, makes her stand out from the panicking mass of kids.

"_Reshiram?"_

"_**I can sense what you are thinking. However, let us get the truth of the situation first."**_

…

Touko sits down on one of the tiny chairs scattered throughout the one-room classroom. While N takes a seat on the floor, Cheren remains standing, folding his arms over his chest. The volunteer who ran up to them, Autumn, nervously glances at the preschool teacher running the place.

"Touko, do you remember battling a young boy with a Panpour here when you were on your journey?" Autumn begins with a question.

The heroine frowns. "Not off the top of the head. I have battled many trainers, so I can't be expected to remember all of my opponents."

"I guess I should have expected that," the caretaker concedes, "Anyway, that boy, Doyle, disappeared along with his Pokémon last night. He was here with the rest of the kids yesterday, so he must have left when we were all asleep."

Cheren rubs his chin as he launches a series of questions at Autumn.

"Has he done this before?"

"No, never. He's usually very obedient and stays near the school."

"Can you think of any reasons why he would go off on his own? A fight with another kid? Something that piqued his curiosity?"

"I can't...think of anything. We've been busy preparing for a field trip and..." Autumn's guilt seeps into her admission, and Cheren walks up to her to place a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay," he says in a gentle manner that stuns Touko for a moment. "He couldn't have gone far, and even then, someone around here must have seen him."

The gym leader turns to his friends. "Let's split up. I'll search Nacrene City and the southern part of Route 3 again."

"I'll check Wellspring Cave. I can ask the Pokemon living around here if they have seen anything," N volunteers.

"I guess that leaves Striation City and the eastern part of Route 3 to me," Touko manages to mutter to herself. Cheren immediately heads out after confirming each person's objective, but N lingers behind, having caught the heroine staring at her childhood friend with uncharacteristic surprise.

"Is there something off with Cheren, Touko?" His question seems to extend her shocked state.

"O-Oh, no, not really. It's just…Cheren has never been good at comforting people. So I was wondering where this side of him has come from. Anyway, we can talk later. There's a missing kid that we need to find."

N blinks once and then responds, "Right. I hope your search is fruitful.

They separate at the base of the stairs. While N turns towards the giant cave to the west, Touko heads east towards Striation City.

"_**It is possible that his position as a teacher as well as his journey have allowed him to improve his social skills."**_

"Yeah, that must be it."

Reshiram senses the melancholy behind its trainer's simple words. _**"Heroine."**_

"Don't worry, Reshiram. I'm just getting used to the fact that the people around here have changed. I wasn't lying when I said that from now on, I'm going to be there for my friends. And not just N."

The white dragon glances up from its luxury ball. _**"I do not doubt that you will."**_

Meanwhile, N finds a group of Watchog hanging around the tall grass near the preschool. He approaches them with a friendly smile as he bends down to their height.

"Hello, my friends. Have you seen a little boy from the preschool last night?"

The wild Pokémon glance at each other before anxiously pointing at Wellspring Cave. N's gaze turns to the direction of their pointing.

"I see. He went into the cave?"

One of the Watchog shrinks away as it feebly shakes its head. The green-haired man catches the fear plaguing the Pokémon, and his grin is flipped upside down.

"What happened to him? Please tell me."

The Watchog all shake their heads, their frightened states preventing them from explaining any further. N pulls out a sitrus berry for each of them as a way to quell their fears.

"Thank you, my friends. I guess I have no choice but to investigate the cave myself."

He continues down the path towards Wellspring Cave, but, the moment he sees the entrance, he spots a Pokémon crawling out of the cavern. It drags its body until it can feel the sunlight, and once its blue body is illuminated, the Pokémon crashes into the dirt. Gasping, N sprints to the fallen Panpour and cradles the unconscious water-type in his arms. As he lifts the Pokémon up, he notes how its arms and its torso is littered with many bruises. Its legs are visibly flattened, and many cuts mar its dirty face.

"How could this happen?" N mutters aloud. Making sure that the Panpour is secured in his arms, he rushes back to the preschool. He barges in, startling everyone in the building, and places the Pokémon down on the first mat that he sees.

"That's-!" Autumn gasps, repulsed by the Panpour's beaten state.

"Do you have anything to treat this?" N urgently asks. Autumn immediately hurries to the cabinet that has their first aid supplies while the teacher opens the freezer and pulls out an ice pack.

"We'll probably need to take Panpour to a Pokémon Center, but let's see what we can do."

N nods as he taps on his Xtransceiver. He scrolls through his tiny list of contacts until he reaches Touko's number. As he presses the call button, his mind drifts to a memory from a year ago, back to when he used to call his faded castle his home.

"_N, how long are you going to hide yourself away? This is not how someone should live their life! Come on! We're going to get you some new clothes and an Xtransceiver!" _

_Despite his protests, Mei grabbed his wrist and forcibly removed him from the shattered throne room. He was then transported to Castelia City, where he awkwardly stood in line with the actress in a tech store. She dumped a box into his hands, and while she explained the various features of an Xtransceiver, N discerned the outside of the box, eyeing the picture of the green communication device with a hint of wonder. _

"N? Did you find anything?" Touko's voice passes through the Xtransceiver screen, bringing N back to the present.

"Touko, contact Cheren and ask him to bring Nurse Joy from the Nacrene City Pokémon Center. I want you to search for some berries in the meantime."

"Wait, why? What happened?"

"I have found a severely injured Pokémon. Please hurry."

…

N, Touko, and Cheren relocate to Nacrene City after Nurse Joy transported the Panpour to the Pokémon Center. Autumn has also come with them, while the teacher in charge of the preschool stays behind to watch over the worried children. After handing Panpour over to Nurse Joy, they reconvene in the waiting area, restlessly waiting and praying for some good news.

When Nurse Joy rejoins them, there is a deep frown on her face. N is the first to spring to his feet.

"How is Panpour?" he frantically questions the nurse.

"Panpour is resting at the moment," the pink-haired woman responds in a professional voice. "I have managed to bring him back to stable conditions, but his injuries are severe. Do any of you know how Panpour acquired these wounds?"

Cheren and Autumn shake their heads. N, on the other hand, turns his head to the doorway leading to the restricted area of the Pokémon Center and then immediately dashes towards it, ignoring the startled cries of his friends.

"N, you can't go in there without Nurse Joy's permission!" the gym leader scolds as he chases after him.

"I'm sorry about my friend," Touko apologizes to Nurse Joy, shooting the older woman a nervous grin, "He can't stand the thought of Pokémon being hurt, more so than anyone else."

"Is Panpour his Pokémon?"

The heroine gives a bittersweet smile. "No, Panpour is N's friend. Every Pokémon is his friend."

…

N feels sick. The number of wires hooked up to the water-type Pokémon gives him flashbacks of his time in his castle. A large number of wounded Pokémon, the look of distrust and despair on their faces as they retreated from his hand…

As the former king stares helplessly at the hospitalized Panpour, Cheren catches up to him. The gym leader sees the pained frown accompanying N's cloudy gray eyes and holds his tongue back from lecturing N.

The tapping of footsteps begin to echo through the white hallways again. The sound attracts Cheren's attention, and he turns around to the sight of Touko and Nurse Joy dashing towards him.

"N…" Touko breathes out. Her green-haired companion continues to press his face against the viewing glass, unaware of the heroine's apparent concern. She walks to his side and runs her eyes down Panpour's beaten state.

"Who could have done this?" N mutters aloud, "Panpour was so close to…"

"I don't know," Touko simply says. "But it's awful."

"If only I could ask Panpour about what happened…"

No one moves for several minutes. Touko peeks to her right, watching as the agony on N's face persists. Her heart twists again, and a burst of determination surges through her.

To Cheren, she declares, "Let's go. We need to investigate Wellspring Cave."

Her childhood friend nods. "I can only imagine what the wild Pokémon who call that cave their home are going through. Let's proceed with caution."

As Cheren heads out of the ER, Touko is stopped by N's unusually quiet voice.

"I'm coming with you," he says.

The heroine takes another look at Panpour and then shakes her head, refusing his request to join her.

"You should stay here and watch over Panpour until he wakes up."

N's eyes once again flicker with conflict. "There's something extremely dangerous within that cave, and you were recently hospitalized by our battle against the giant shadow in Nacrene City. If something like that were to happen to you again…"

Touko flashes a wide grin that showcases her white teeth. "I'll be fine. Cheren will be with me, so he'll make sure I don't do anything reckless."

"Still-!"

"I promise that I'll come back in one piece. So, can I trust you to be there for Panpour until we find Doyle?"

"...Very well," he reluctantly concedes after seconds of intense contemplation, "Please be careful."

"You can count on me!" she reassures with another beaming smile.

As Touko rushes out of the Pokémon Center, N brings his gaze back to the unconscious Pokemon.

"_What is this feeling that keeps interfering with my faith in Touko and her strength? Is this what it means to care for a human? No, it should be fundamentally the same as caring for a Pokémon. I must speak with Mei about this. She might be able to name what this feeling is. At this rate, it will cause me to doubt Touko."_

…

On the way to Wellspring Cave, Touko fills Cheren in on her recent fights as a Precure.

"You've met the other Precure?" the gym leader repeats back to the heroine.

"Yes, but she is dead set on having me prove myself. What's worse is that I don't have a single clue as to who she could be."

"You do, Touko. Random as you think they are, her abilities, appearance, and even the way she talks can help you narrow down the list of potential candidates."

Touko resists the urge to slam her palm against her forehead. The thing stopping her from doing so is the fact that Cheren does not know how magical girls work.

"_But then again, who actually does? I'm just going with the flow at this point…"_

"I know that you've never seen me transformed, but I look completely different from my normal self."

The teacher raises an eyebrow. "Really? Then, can you transform and show me what you mean by that?"

She forces her mouth shut. The image of her cutesy, fire-wielding magical girl self drifts over her head, and the bombardment of embarrassment that she feels causes her face to boil with heat. Spotting her reddened cheeks, Cheren narrows his eyes at his childhood friend.

"Don't tell me you're embarrassed about being a magical girl?"

Touko snaps her head at almost whiplash speeds. "I am embarrassed! I'm kicking giant fusion monsters in a short dress and dainty little wings!"

"_**The dress is long enough to cover your thighs, and the wings are sturdy, despite their fragile appearance."**_

"The poses are ridiculous, and I can't believe what I say while in that form half the time. But I'm trying to get used to it because it's the only way to beat the Shadow Triad. Reshiram is lending me its power, and I will do what must be done."

They reach the branching pathway and head towards their left. Cheren huffs, almost in bafflement.

"That does sound ridiculous. You would think that Reshiram would at least give you a cape," he jokingly suggests.

"_**That sounds like a wonderful idea. How did I not consider that before?"**_

"Cheren, you better stop before you give Reshiram even more ideas..."

He releases a small chuckle before clearing his throat and steering them back to their original topic.

"Can you give me any details of the other Precure?"

Touko places a finger on her chin as she dredges up an image of the haughty magical girl.

"Her name is Cure Bolt. As you can guess, she can command lightning. I couldn't see much of her face or what she was wearing, but her hair was neon blue."

"That is hard to go off of," Cheren reluctantly concedes. "If she looks completely different in her civilian form, then she could be anyone in the region. The only other factor that can help narrow things down is that she's been a thorn in the Shadow Triad's side for a while. Maybe if we're able to figure out which Pokémon is lending her its power..."

The heroine closes her eyes and telepathically asks Reshiram, _"Did you sense anything that might give us a lead?"_

"_**I, unfortunately, did not. Her aura is being disguised by something."**_

"_Disguised? Is that a side effect of transforming into a Precure?"_

"_**It should not be. Whenever you transform, your aura is mixed with my power, and any Pokémon or human with enough affinity to read auras can distinctly recognize it as such."**_

"_Could this mean that she is using a different method to transform? That makes a little bit of sense. I highly doubt that she came across the same mechanism as you did." _

"_**I have been meaning to ask this, but where exactly did you get my luxury ball from?"**_

The duo arrives at the entrance of Wellspring Cave. Touko stops in her tracks as her blue eyes widen in shock.

"Touko?" Cheren questions, frowning at her tensed body.

"_I got it from Touya."_

…

"Sir," Nurse Joy calls out to N, who is still peering into the window of Panpour's hospital room. Upon acknowledging the pinked-haired nurse, he registers the group of little kids behind her along with the teacher of the preschool and Autumn. Most of the children are carrying something in their hands, with some of them holding hand-drawn pictures of the water-type Pokémon, while others have wildflowers and berries picked from the trees lining Route 3.

But one girl, the one who had the pained frown and the clenched fists, is holding a white tag. She walks up to N and then takes a glance to her left, flinching at the sight of Panpour's broken state.

"T-This is my fault…" the little girl whimpers as her hand clutches the tag so tightly, no one can hope to separate it from her. "It's because I said those things to him…"

N bends down to her height and peers into her eyes, observing the thin line of unshed tears that the little child is struggling to hold back. His intense gaze frightens the girl, and she cowers as her clenched hand retreats to her chest.

"Please tell me what you mean by that," N urges. The young girl shifts her gaze to the floor.

"I-I…" she forces out as she sniffs back her tears. "I just wanted to know...why Doyle didn't want to play with anyone anymore. Ever since the teacher told us that he's going to be staying at the school, h-he just sits in the corner...with P-Panpour. Then, last week, the teacher said that we're going on a field trip to Wellspring Cave. T-There is a stone statue there that can make wishes come true."

N's stare turns to the white paper in her fist. "Is that tag for your field trip?"

"Y-Yes. We write our wishes on here, and then we were going to put them in the bowl under the statue. Everyone made one, even Doyle, but he didn't want to sh-share...s-sh..."

She succumbs to the urge to cry, launching herself into N's arms as she stains his white shirt with salty tears. It seems that remembering what happened has rendered her incapable of finishing her recollection.

N doesn't know what to do. His hands scramble to do something, but they ultimately stay near the girl's back, unable to give her the comfort that she needs.

Instead, he starts inferring what the little girl is about to say.

"He didn't want to share his wish."

"Yes," Autumn confirms as she pulls the crying child into her arms. "What he wanted was different from all of the other kids. He was already struggling with feelings of isolation even before his parents…"

The little girl looks up with her tear-stained eyes and asks, "D-Did something happen with Doyle's mommy and daddy…?"

Autumn's expression morphs into one of utter indignation. "It really isn't in my place to say, Wendy. He doesn't want anyone to know, but now that I realize just how much keeping it a secret is hurting him…"

N steels himself for the truth. The volunteer holds the little girl closer as if to protect her from the bombshell that she's about to release.

"Doyle was abandoned by his parents. They didn't want him anymore," Autumn reveals.

N's heart sinks into an abyss. It's like his blood is being drained, leaving behind a chilling emptiness that intensifies with each second. The word "abandoned" loops in his mind and dredges up traumatizing memories. Memories of a man in a giant cape and a maniacal gleam in his eyes reaching down to grab him...

Understandably, Wendy is distraught by the revelation. So much so that she cries harder, consumed by the despair and guilt that she feels. Autumn strokes the little girl's hair in a vain attempt to comfort her.

"I-I'm sorry! I'm...sorry!" Wendy wails into the volunteer's apron. Her crying unsettles her classmates. Some of them cannot move their gaze away from the floor, their hearts frozen in place by the heartbreaking revelation of Doyle's sudden attitude shift.

N turns back to Panpour as his mind connects the rest of the puzzle that is Doyle's disappearance. _"Consumed by his loneliness, Doyle went to Wellspring Cave with Panpour without telling anyone in order to make his wish come true. He felt it was the only way to escape from the pit of despair that he felt. I can sympathize with this feeling of only being able to open up to Pokémon. However…"_

An image of Touko wearing a genuinely curious stare as her Oshawott smiles at her transforms his pained frown into determination. Leaving the sight of the battered Panpour behind, N heads to Autumn's side and scans the mass of terrified kids.

"I have an idea as to how to open up Doyle's heart. If anyone is interested, please listen to what I have to say."

…

When Cheren and Touko enter Wellspring Cave, the first thing they see are the masses of short rock pillars that litter the cavern. They create a maze with narrow passageways that weaves its way to the stairs leading to the bottom floor. As Touko squeezes her way through, Cheren takes a moment to run his hand down one of the pillars, noting how the composition of the rock formation is different from the material that the cave is made out of. He looks down and sees that the cracks on the floor branch out from the pillars.

"Cheren, did you find something?"

"From my observations, it seems that we're only seeing part of what these pillars are. It's likely that the bottom floor might be harder to transverse."

"_**I can sense the Kugeki's aura from these pillars. Someone here was turned into one."**_

"And that Kugeki was probably the one who put Panpour in such a state," Touko whispers to herself. Carefully maneuvering past the labyrinth of rock towers, the two trainers rush down the stairs to the bottom floor. True to Cheren's hypothesis, they are greeted with the sight of massive rocky "cages" littering the area. They extend to the ceiling and beyond, revealing themselves as the source of the rock formations on the previous floor. Touko walks up to one of the cages and finds a bulky hiker curled up into a ball. A sickening aura coats his unconscious body.

She quickly discovers that each cage is housing someone. The heroine scouts for any sign of Doyle or the Kugeki, but, once she reaches the furthest part of the cave, a giant stone structure covers the elevated platform where the statue of Jirachi used to be. Large red-orange crystals hang down from the ceiling, releasing pulses of heat. Cheren, in his long-sleeved dress shirt, begins to sweat the longer they stay in the area.

And, from within the cracks of the massive stone structure, a pair of gleaning red eyes seeps through, eyeing the intruders with a cautious gaze.

"The Kugeki...is this giant thing…?" Cheren gasps out. Touko grimaces at the dark energy lingering around the monster. It's considerably more intense than when she fought Yvette's Kugeki.

"Why did mommy and daddy leave me? What did I do wrong?"

"Was that Doyle's voice?" her childhood friend deduces. The heroine merely pulls out her luxury ball, bracing herself for combat.

"_**Transform, heroine. We must revert this Kugeki back."**_

Touko shoots an intimidating glare at her childhood friend. "Please don't judge. This is all Reshiram's doing."

Initially stunned by the offhand comment, Cheren eventually gives a shrug that tries to pass as nonchalant, but it only exposes the smugness that he's hiding inside. "Don't worry. I'll give you an essay of what I think after we save Doyle." He attempts to make a light joke in the face of a terrible situation, and Touko feels the tension loosen from her shoulders.

"Please, no! I don't need you analyzing why my hair changes color!" she responds back, her uneasiness replaced with that familiar burst of determination.

She sucks in a shaky breath and holds up her transformation device. "Curing Fusion Orb!"

The blinding column of light blasts away some of the rock pillars surrounding them. It instantly evaporates the water in front of it, and the lake rushes to fill the sudden gap. Touko opens her eyes and once again notices some changes to her transformation. Instead of two chokers, she can only feel one of them wrapping around the base of her neck. The armguard on her right arm is also gone.

"The Heroine of Truth, Cure Flare!"

When the light disperses, Cheren is momentarily blinded by the amount of white that is radiating off of the magical girl. Her aura illuminates the cave, a beacon of purity within a dark nightmare. The gym leader marvels at the sight, just like Bianca did when she first laid her eyes on the Precure.

On the outside, Flare's maintaining her confident posture. But, on the inside...

"_You made edits again?!"_

Reshiram impassively stares at her. _**"Yes. I almost considered replacing the armguard with a cape, like Cheren suggested."**_

"_No, no capes! Ugh, I'll deal with you later!"_

Almost like a trigger, the cave rumbles violently as the glowing red eyes hiding behind the rock formation flash dangerously. A rock pillar shoots up from under Flare's feet in an attempt to pierce her. She clumsily activates her wings and launches herself back, pushing off the erected pillar with her feet to gain momentum. The sensation of using her wings is like running with sore muscles, and the sudden burst of heaviness she feels prevents her from steering around the next attack. A jagged blade of rock bashes into her left side and sends her crashing into one of the cages.

"Tou-Flare!" Cheren quickly corrects himself as he worryingly calls out to his friend. She struggles to pick herself up, clutching the arm that was bashed against the cage as her wings shudder.

"_This is bad. My movements are too sluggish. I don't think I've recovered from the battle with the giant shadow yet."_

Flare finds herself leaping away from the Kugeki as more rocky edges erupt from the floor. One of them bumps against her wings again, and she lets out a sharp gasp of pain. That one moment of vulnerability is enough time for several rock pillars to catch her and juggle her around until she hits the back wall of the room.

"_**You have pushed yourself too far last time. Your body, even after recovering for three days, has not regained its strength back. Focus on your defenses."**_

She quickly scans the area for Cheren, hoping that the Kugeki hasn't targeted him yet. He dashes towards her, not realizing that he is susceptible to an attack from behind. The cavern rumbles, and a stalagmite made of the same red-orange crystal that adorns the Kugeki breaks off from the ceiling straight towards the gym leader.

"Cheren!" Flare screeches as she launches forward with a burst of adrenaline. Cheren barely registers the sharp object heading towards him before the Precure blocks it with her bare hands. She prepares to toss the giant crystal aside, but when she encloses her fingers around the gem, a burst of light fills the room. The magical girl feels energy crawling throughout her blood, warming her up with fiery heat.

"_W-What's happening?"_

"_**This is...solar energy! I see now. This Kugeki was originally a Gigalith."**_

Cheren stares at his childhood friend as she is bathed in a light orange aura. A flash of movement sneaks into his peripheral vision, and he reacts to the sneak attack faster than Flare does.

"Stoutland, destroy that pillar with Superpower!"

Cheren's trusty partner is released from his Poke Ball, ready to execute the gym leader's orders. Before the Kugeki's attack can reach the magical girl, Stoutland charges forward and shatters the sharp pillar.

"Just like that, Stoutland! Let's give Flare some space to breathe!"

The canine-like Pokémon continues to fight the incoming wave of stone edges as Cheren repositions to Flare's side.

"Thank you, Cheren," the Precure sheepishly says. He smiles as if to dispel her hidden worries.

"I'm always ready to lend you a hand. It'll be like those times in our journey where we teamed up against Team Plasma. However, I feel like this is the most I can do."

Flare flexes her fingers, testing her body for anything unusual after absorbing the solar energy from the giant crystal, which has now dulled to a normal rock. "Alright, leave the rest to me."

She ignites her fists and flies forward, punching any rock pillars that got in her way. The magical girl, along with Stoutland, attempts to push past the waves of stone edges. As she bashes rocks, Cheren's Pokémon keeps a more defensive approach to protect his trainer from the Kugeki's attacks.

However, it seems that no matter how many stony pillars they crush, they are unable to force their way back to where they started. The Kugeki may be strengthening its defenses, but the barrier that it's creating is pushing them back towards the other end of the cave again.

Flare pants heavily after releasing a stream of fire that barely does anything to pierce the rocky wall. More sharp edges spawn from the ground, the ceiling, and even from the lake to encase the Kugeki in a cage reminiscent of a geode.

"Go away! You don't understand! You still have your mommy and daddy!"

"Doyle…" Flare mumbles out as she tries to find the right words to say to the morphed child. The Kugeki continues to wail, its red eyes rippling with anguish.

"I-I don't want to be with them! I don't want to hear them making fun of my wish! Even if they don't like their mommy and daddy, they still have them. They still have a family!"

"Making fun of his wish?" Cheren sputters.

Flare gasps as she recalls the little girl wearing a guilty expression when they first encountered Autumn. The pieces fall together, and they both have a picture of what really happened.

"So that's what drove him to such a desperate decision," she wonders aloud.

In a motion that can only be described as struggling, the Kugeki unleashes an earthquake. Some of the spikes hanging on the ceiling snap off, threatening to crash into some of the rocky cages containing the human prisoners as well as Flare and Cheren.

"Stoutland, return! Cinccino, Bullet Seed!"

The Big-Hearted Pokémon is exchanged with a rodent-like Pokémon with an elaborate scarf wrapped around her neck. Cinccino, upon seeing the mass of sharp dagger-like rocks coming towards her, experiences a moment of panic before opening her mouth and firing a volley of seeds at speeds rivaling a Gatling gun. Her attack manages to stop the falling spikes from impaling her trainer and the magical girl.

As Cinccino's Bullet Seed protects them from damage, Flare aims a series of fireballs at the remaining stony edges. The cave continues to rumble, and the tremors of the Kugeki's earthquake increases in intensity.

"At this rate, we're going to get buried!" Cheren blurts out as he struggles to keep his footing. They're close to being backed against the wall.

"Any ideas on how to get out of this predicament?" the gym leader questions his friend as he recalls Cinccino. Flare quickly examines her surroundings, but all she can see are even more rocky edges sprouting from all corners of the cave.

"_**We need to use Solarbeam Flare if we want to end this before the situation becomes too dire."**_

"_That is probably our best option, but it's too dangerous to release Scoria in this place. And I don't think one Sunny Day is going to be enough energy."_

"_**Then we must somehow obtain more of those orange crystals. The densely compacted solar energy within them should be a suitable substitution."**_

"Cheren," the magical girl urgently hollers for her friend, "Those crystals...I'm going to need more of them!"

He bitterly frowns as if he already dissected the problem with her statement. "We can't even close the distance between us and the Kugeki. Unless your powers include telekinesis, I don't see a viable way for us to get them without getting impaled in the process."

At this point, the cave is starting to close in on itself. The ceiling is falling apart into masses of giant boulders, and the amount of space that the two can stand on is steadily decreasing. Flare activates her wings and flies up to face the Kugeki.

"_**Open up Doyle's heart, Flare. Let us convince him to seek for salvation."**_

"I'll distract the Kugeki," the magical girl informs her friend, "While I have its attention, I want you to sneak up and get me a large chunk of that crystal. One should be enough."

Cheren immediately nods and releases his Stoutland back onto the field. There is no time for him to doubt the plan. Silently placing his trust in the Precure, he hops onto Stoutland's back and commands the canine Pokémon to take him to the other side of the cave.

After taking a few seconds to watch over Cheren, Flare turns her attention back to the fused monster.

"I don't have a dad, either," she begins, her words instantly catching the Kugeki's attention. "He left me and my mom many years ago. Even though my dad's passion for adventure was the thing that brought him and my mom together, that same thing ultimately tore my family apart."

"Do you hate him for leaving you?"

Flare smiled sadly. "At first, I did. Back then, Mom was so devastated that I couldn't remember a day where she wasn't crying. I remembered thinking that I was the reason why he left us. I hated him for not keeping his word of staying together with Mom. And...I repeated that. I left my mom behind to search for someone. I left my mom waiting for so long."

"Why?" she hears Doyle's distorted voice ask her. "Why did you do that?"

That regretful smile shows up again. "There was something that I had to do. Something very important to me."

"Does that mean mommy and daddy think I'm not important to them? Is that why they left me?"

"That could be the case," the Precure says. The trembling in the cave increases in response, but she remains calm. "Not everyone is as nice as you think. Everyone has the potential to betray and hurt another person."

"Then I should just stay here. No one can hurt me if I do."

"Can you truly say that you're happy living your life like that? Drowning in your pain and cursing everything around you? Is that what you really want? Because I know what living that life feels like. It blinds you from seeing the good things that the world has to offer. It destroys your spirit until you are nothing but an empty husk."

Doyle's voice fades into silence. The magical girl waits for the Kugeki to speak again.

"It hurts. Every time I see my classmates go home with their mommy and daddy, I get really jealous. I don't want them to know how I feel. I don't want to be a burden."

The magical girl clasps her hands together in prayer as if to clutch her heart. "If you keep those feelings inside, they will one day consume you. And, once they do, there's no stopping the suffering that they'll cause to you and the people around you."

"I...I don't want that! But I'm scared!"

"Tell me what your wish is. Tell me your true feelings, Doyle."

Even with the cave trembling and rocks crashing down all around her, the magical girl stays where she is. The Kugeki's piercing red eyes reflect a multitude of emotions, but the most prominent of them...is fear. Flare observes the Kugeki attempting to shrink away, but due to its rooted state, all it can do is stare back at the Precure. She opens up her arms, inviting the little boy trapped inside the monster to trust her.

A small part of her wonders if she's slowly picking up on N's habits.

"Let me help you. Your pain and suffering...it will eventually fade away. No, it will only go away if you choose to do something about it," she says. Despite the soft tone of her voice, her words ring with conviction. And, as if she struck him with a powerful punch, the Kugeki begins to shake, almost as if it's sobbing.

"I want a family. I want a home. I don't want to feel lonely anymore!" Doyle's distorted voice cries out.

"If that is how you really feel," Flare extends her hand out, beckoning the Kugeki to accept her, "then take that first step! Let's go back to the people who care about you. To Autumn and the preschool!"

For one heart-stopping moment, all Flare can hear is the sound of rocks crashing against the cavern floor. When the Kugeki speaks again, it pleads in its warped voice, "S-Save me."

Flare's heart surges at her success, but that feeling is short-lived when she realizes that the cave is still collapsing around her. Water is now pouring in from the upper layer, threatening to drown the prisoners down below.

"_**The Kugeki's power is spiraling out of control!"**_

"_Cheren, where are you?!"_

As if to answer her unspoken plead, a bunch of stony edges slams down onto the grounded monster, breaking off several of the orange crystals from its body. From her position, Flare can see Cheren hastily digging through the rubble to find a suitable piece to transport to the magical girl. Stoutland picks up a bulky chunk lying in the lake and nudges his trainer with it.

"Thank you, Stoutland. Now, is there a faster way to get this to her without heading back?" Cheren mumbles to himself. He glances at the magical girl and then at his Pokémon. The Big-Hearted Pokémon barks once and jumps up, gesturing to the crystal to follow his movements.

"Of course!" the gym leader exclaims as he picks up the crystal and tosses it up a good distance into the air. "Stoutland, use Strength and send this straight to Flare!"

With an acknowledging howl, Stoutland pounces up and winds up one of his paws into a fist. A thin white aura surrounds the tiny fist as the canine-like Pokémon socks the crystal with as much force as he can. Instead of shattering the glowing shard, the attack makes it soar through the cave. As it barrels its way towards the Precure, the crystal obliterates any falling rocky spikes that happen to land within its trajectory.

Flare easily catches the incoming projectile as if she's just playing catch with her friends. She wastes no time absorbing the solar energy within, her body suddenly radiating with a harsh white light.

Cheren recalls Stoutland and takes cover next to a rocky cage, eager to witness just how a Kugeki is reverted back to normal.

All Flare can see is white. The aura surrounding her converges onto her pointer finger. She paints a circle in front of her and snaps her hand back.

"Precure Solarbeam Flare!"

She presses her palm against the circle of solar energy and releases a ray of pure white light. Her attack consumes the cavern and engulfs the Kugeki, burning away the geode-like cage and stripping the monster of its rocky exterior. The beam easily punches its way through the cave's walls, but thankfully, due to them being underground, no one can see the massive shaft of light.

The Precure struggles to pull air into her lungs after expelling the last of the energy stored up within her. She flies over to the end of the cave and searches for Doyle and Cheren.

"Cheren?"

"R-Right here...Flare. I've got to say that your attack was something else," she hears the gym leader call from behind a crumbling pillar. "I'm grateful that it didn't obliterate my hiding spot."

She flinches, recalling the times when she _did _destroy a piece of the land during her battles. "Yeah...me too."

Cheren turns his attention to the massive hole in the wall. "Where's Doyle?" he questions. Both he and Flare transverse to the elevated platform, where, behind the Jirachi statue that managed to stay intact, they find the little boy sleeping peacefully next to an unconscious Gigalith. Flare sighs in relief and undoes her transformation. Once she does, though, the adrenaline fades away, and she collapses backward onto the hard floor.

"Touko! Are you alright?!"

"Y-Yeah, I might have pushed myself too hard again."

The gym leader exasperatingly shakes his head. Touko gestures to her bag with her head and says, "Can you bring out Ritsu? I don't think I can move."

Sighing, Cheren complies with her request and releases the water starter from his Poke Ball. The Samurott, upon seeing his surroundings, gaps dumbly at the destruction around him. He then sees his trainer on the floor, who gives the Pokémon a cheeky smile.

With a disgruntled groan, Ritsu hauls Touko onto his back. He growls softly, possibly scolding her for her recklessness. As Cheren calls out his Stoutland and climbs onto his back with Doyle in his arms, he once again flicks his gaze to the destroyed wall and cringes at what he sees.

"Hey, Touko."

"W-What's up?"

"I think you might have caused a portion of the surrounding forest to collapse."

"...Argh! Not again!"

…

Touko has never been more grateful for Lenora's generosity. Even with the reconstruction project, she was still willing to lend a hand in relocating the unconscious hikers and martial artists from Wellspring Cave to the Nacrene City Pokémon Center. Fortunately, the retired gym leader doesn't question them too much about the state of Wellspring Cave, accepting Cheren's explanation of an earthquake striking the area when they went to find the child.

Doyle, too, has been given his own room to recover in. The little boy wakes up a few hours later, when nighttime has already fallen. When he opens his eyes, he's greeted with the sight of his teacher and Autumn, along with Touko, N, Cheren, and even Bianca, hovering over his hospital bed.

Autumn is the first to spring into action, cautiously wrapping her arms around the child as she sobs, "Oh Doyle, I'm so glad you're okay."

He sits there for several long seconds, staring at the mass of people who were waiting for him to regain consciousness. His eyes then water, and he clutches the purple-haired volunteer as he cries with her.

"I-I'm sorry!"

"No, no. Don't apologize, Doyle. It's alright. Everything's going to be alright."

Cheren places a hand onto Touko's shoulder before turning towards the exit. "I think we should give them some space." The brown-haired trainer nods in agreement, and she and her friends quietly leave the room.

"Did Panpour wake up yet?" Touko questions N.

"No. Nurse Joy said that it might take several days or even weeks for Panpour to open his eyes again."

N's update only deepens the frowns on their faces. Cheren adjusts his tie and lets out a sniffled yawn. "I'm going to turn in for the night," the teacher announces. "We can talk more in the morning."

Bianca glances between the two heroes before chasing after Cheren, quietly fussing over his slight injuries. Touko tiredly grins at the backs of her childhood friends. She takes a step forward and feels her legs cave in. She trips and bashes her face against the tiled floor.

"Touko!" The heroine senses N shifting her body so that she's lying face-up.

"S-Sorry, N. I guess I'm going to need more sleep," she lightly chuckles out. She tries to play it off as nonchalantly as she can, but when she catches a glimpse of N's turbulent gray eyes, she stops laughing. He stares at her with an unreadable expression, a hard frown pressed onto his face.

Then, he picks her up, bridal-style, and carries her out into the waiting area towards their room.

"W-Wait, N! Put me down!"

"No. You're not leaving my sight until you've regained all of your strength. You are going to rest, even if I have to keep you in your bed myself."

Touko's frazzled mind malfunctions at his declaration. N takes her silence as her unspoken compliance.

…

A few days later, both Doyle and Touko are allowed to leave the Pokémon Center. N, true to his word, had made sure that Touko could not even lift her head off of her pillow. Her childhood friends had a good laugh through it all, relishing in her terribly hidden embarrassment.

As Touko, N, Cheren, and Doyle travel back to the preschool, the little boy clasps Touko's hand tightly. His pace slows down as they near the elevated plateau where his school lies. Once they reach the entrance, Doyle increased his grip on Touko's hand.

"Doyle, are you okay?" the heroine asks softly. "We don't have to go in right away if you're not ready to face them yet."

He lightly bites down on his bottom lip. "N-No, I...I can do this. It's just weird not having Panpour with me."

Cheren bends down to the boy's level and pats him on the head. "Nurse Joy is doing everything she can to make sure Panpour will be okay. Don't worry."

The little boy nods once and turns back to the door. His other hand inches forward, landing on the doorknob. The others can see that he's shaking in fear, and with a wordless agreement, they place their hands over the knob, gently reassuring the child that they're right behind him. Doyle twists the door open, and a chorus of "Welcome back!" invades his ears.

The classroom is decorated with many streamers and balloons, which have been taped to various parts of the play area. The tables are lined with cupcakes and cookies alongside many liters of juice. A burst of confetti explodes above Doyle, showering him in a rain of multi-colored paper.

"Surprise!" Autumn chirps as she sets off another party popper. Unable to process the sight, Doyle stands there silently, his jaw flung open from the shock.

"T-This is for me?"

Wendy, with a giant smile, grabs his hand and drags him further into the room. At first, pain flashes through his eyes, and he considers snatching his hand away. But when she hands him a chocolate cupcake, he allows himself to grab the pastry and take a large bite out of it.

"It's really good."

"I helped my mommy make them! Autumn said that you really like chocolate."

He understandably flinches when the little girl mentions her mom. Both of them frown at each other; the words that they wish to communicate are stuck in their throats.

"I'm sorry, Doyle," Wendy finally says, "I'm really sorry for making fun of your wish. I was super jealous that you get to spend every day at school. School is fun! I liked being at school more than at home. But I didn't know that you don't have a family anymore."

"I-I'm sorry, too," Doyle echoes back. "I know that you always talk about how your daddy is always really strict and mean. I'm not mad at you for saying what you did. Not anymore."

"Really?"

"Yep."

His simple response brings back the girl's bright smile. "Then, from now on, I can be your sister!"

"But you can't be my sister, Wendy! We're not related!"

"Yes, I can! And Autumn can be your momma!"

The volunteer's eyes widen at Wendy's sudden proclamation. She catches on quickly, however, and reassures him that she can be his "mommy" until they can find him a new one. In the midst of all this, Touko and his friends observe the entire scene from the doorway.

"Your idea was a success, N," Touko states, proudly grinning at the green-haired man. N tips his hat down, clearly affected by her compliment.

"I didn't do much. All I did was tell them what Doyle might have been feeling. They did the rest on their own."

"Well, I'm glad that everything got resolved in the end," Cheren sums up, crossing his arms as he watches several of the kids fight over the last chocolate cupcake. "It's going to take some time for his heart to heal, but I think he'll be alright."

"Yeah. I think so, too," the heroine agrees. Before the three of them have the chance to decide what to do next, Doyle runs up to Touko and gives her a large chocolate chip cookie.

"Thank you for saving me!" he beams.

She grins back. "It's no problem at all, Doyle. Just don't do anything like sneaking out on your own again, okay?"

"I won't! You were so cool, though! Like a real angel!"

His compliment shakes both Touko and Cheren to the core. Their bodies tense in unison, and shivers rack their spines. Sirens blare in their minds, prompting them to pick either a fight or flight response.

"Ahaha...t-that's...thank you?" the heroine feebly sputters out. The boy seems satisfied and heads back towards his classmates. They hear snippets of his conversation with Wendy about how Touko managed to rescue him.

"And then she shot a giant Solarbeam! Like this!"

He mimics Cure Flare's pose, extending his arm out in a valiant effort to recapture the magical girl's epic moment. Wendy laughs and tells him how a human can't feasibly use a Pokémon move.

N gives that distant smile of his and says, "Kids have such active imaginations."

Cheren, seeing the opportunity before Touko does, merely replies back, "Yes, they do."

**Profile: Stoutland**

**Cheren's signature Pokémon and the Big-Hearted Pokémon. Given to him by Lenora as a congratulatory gift for becoming a gym leader, Stoutland has faithfully stood by Cheren's side as he works to fulfill his dream. He's a slow but powerful Pokémon and is always ready to execute Cheren's orders. Stoutland loves children, and his trainer's students love grooming and playing on his back. **

**Gender: Male**

**Type: Normal**

**Nature: Brave**

**Characteristic: Sturdy body**

**Ability: Intimidate**

**Moveset: Superpower, Strength, Wild Charge, Crunch **


	9. Lillil's Midsummer Night's Dream!

**Chapter 9: Fairy-Types Invading the Dreamyard?! Lillil's Midsummer Night's Dream. **

Lillil's patience has reached its limits.

She's going to feel bad about this later, but her jealousy of that clumsy Scolipede has boiled over to the point of consuming all of her attention. How is it that Scoria is the _only _one on Touko's team to see her fight as a magical girl? Even Touko's starter Pokémon, Ritsu, hasn't been graced with such an experience.

To the Lilligant, this is simply unacceptable.

She was the one who spent countless sleepless nights entertaining Reshiram's tinkering with its luxury ball. _She _was the one who subtly drove the legendary Pokémon to establish a magical girl transformation as the basis for Touko's new "last resort."

All so she can turn her teammates' dream into a reality. And what is her repayment for all of her hard work?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing.

But it's not like she is mad at her trainer. The grass-type Pokémon completely understands why she has been kept within her Poké Ball while Touko fights as Cure Flare. Even with her unparalleled strength, there's nothing she can do if her attacks aren't effective in the first place.

Still, it wouldn't hurt to see her trainer in action just once.

…

Lillil wakes up surrounded by fog. Touko and N are nowhere to be seen. The moon casts a beam of light over her as the grass-type Pokémon rises to her feet. She scans her environment, searching for any signs of familiarity, but she quickly gives up when she realizes that all she can see is the thin veil of water vapor.

How did she get here? She attempts to recall what got her in this situation, but, like the fog around her, her mind is hazy. Lillil squeaks several times, hoping that someone hears her.

Nothing.

The Flowering Pokémon then decides to explore the area. Lightly hopping on her flower-shaped foot, she slowly inches her way through the fog. One of her leafy arms brushes against smooth limestone. She swipes her arm across the surface, and the sensation under her hand changes from polished rock to bumpy steel. A metal fence stretches into the mist, but a shadow of a small tree no bigger than Lillil herself plants itself a few steps away, interrupting the gate's descent into the unknown. Its drooping branches give it a gnarly structure.

She recognizes this tree. It's one of the many trees that Ritsu has sliced down over the course of Touko's journey. This one specifically resided in the Dreamyard.

The Lilligant walks around the tree and heads deeper into the fog. The outline of a dilapidated building looms to her left, while a border of tall trees hovers over her right side. If she remembers correctly, there should be several small gaps up ahead that will allow her to wander around the abandoned ruins.

Oh, there they are. Lillil slips through the narrow opening in the metal fence and squeezes past the clutter of empty drums. As she heads left towards the interior part of the ruins, she looks up and finds the sky blocked by a long walkway: the second floor of the abandoned research facility.

Perfect. Maybe she can find Touko or the rest of her teammates from up there.

"Bom-beeeeee~!"

Lillil flinches when a screeching squeal penetrates the dreamy silence. The Lilligant assumes a defensive position, ready to spray a hearty helping of Sleep Powder onto whoever that is. She hears wings flapping towards her from above.

From above? Looking up again, the Lilligant watches a tiny fairy descend down and hover over the flower on her head. The unknown creature curiously observes the bright red petals and the crown-shaped filaments, zipping around Lillil's head like a fly.

She was about to swat at it when the creature squeals again and flies down to her eye level. The fog parts to reveal a little bee-fly-like Pokémon with a red scarf around its neck. Its body and wings are tinted pink, and its eyes sparkle with adoration.

Lillil feels like she should know what this Pokémon is. Sadly, the haze over her mind hasn't cleared yet, and the Flowering Pokémon can only tilt her head at the mysterious Pokémon.

It giggles before flying to Lillil's back and gently nudging her forward. Continuing to push the grass-type, the fairy drags its prize deeper into the fog.

…

Lillil is led out of the abandoned ruins and back into the forest. As she is shoved around, she spots a large flower bed with many foreign plants. Flowers with the impossible blend of magenta and black spread throughout the clearing like a plague. More silhouettes, this time of unknown creatures riding on top of floating flowers, dance above the field.

"Bombeeee~"

Lillil's captor shoves her to the center of the flowerbed. The fog in front of her congregates into a miniature cyclone. It sweeps up a flurry of petals, creating a curtain. The veil parts, splitting the mist for the first time. It reveals a tiny Pokémon similar to the one who has been dragging Lillil around, except its skin is yellow instead of pink, and its scarf is brown.

Lillil squeaks as her kidnapper pushes her towards the mysterious Pokémon. She watches as the two fairies spin around each other, with the pink-tinted Pokémon pointing eagerly at the grass-type.

The Lilligant then feels something pulling her left arm. Something else grabs her right arm, tugging her in its direction.

Soon, she finds herself in a tug-o-war with her as the flag in the middle. She sways back and forth like a hula dancer. While there isn't much force in the tugging, her confusion keeps her trapped within this weird dance.

Eventually, Lillil has enough, and from her flower, she coats the field with a large cloud of Sleep Powder. The shadows drop unceremoniously to the ground. The Lilligant takes one last glance at the ominous field before hopping away as fast as she can.

She will not be their possession. The only person who she can say that she belongs to is her trainer.

Lillil has to find Touko now. If there's anyone who can help her make sense of what's going on, it has to be Reshiram's heroine.

…

"N, just a little bit further!"

"Slow down, Touko. I'm not going anywhere."

Lillil peeks from her hiding spot behind a line of trees, gasping for breath. She wearily turns her head back, sighing in relief when she finds no one chasing her. The sound of footsteps catches her attention, and from the thick foggy veil, she sees two people heading deeper into the Dreamyard.

Is that her trainer? Their shadowy outlines make it hard to confirm their identities. Still, she should go after them and warn them about what the fairy-type Pokémon in this forest are planning. If they get caught in their schemes...

Lillil scurries after the shadows as best as she can. They rush into the abandoned ruins and down the stairs that lead into the basement. Even though she's underground, the fog continues to obscure her vision, and she wishes that Reshiram was here to wipe it away.

"No one can find us here," Touko's voice echoes across the time-worn lab, "It's just you and me."

"Yes, it's like a dream," N says. His voice is breathy, almost wispy as if made with the fog surrounding them. It is also completely monotone, a huge contrast from the subtle emotional tinge that borders N's soft voice.

"In here, we can be together forever," Touko affirms with the same tone. The grass-type Pokémon hurries to her trainer's side and gasps at what she sees. Reshiram's heroine is fully leaning onto N, glancing up at him with love-struck eyes. The former king, in turn, has his hand cradling Touko's head, his lips close to her worn cap.

Lillil almost faints. There is practically no space between them. A ray of sunlight descends upon them, parting the fog for just a split second. They seem unaware that they have an audience.

"Never leave me, N. Never again."

At Touko's possessive words, the Lilligant recovers from her stupor. Her trainer would never say that to him. The inconsistencies with what Lillil is seeing in front of her and Touko's true self compel the grass-type Pokémon to rethink the situation.

The fairies must have drawn them under their spell. It is the only feasible explanation she can think of. While she may not have the antidote, maybe she can put them to sleep long enough to find one.

But before she can expel a burst of Sleep Powder onto the two heroes, Touko drags N deeper into the ruins, and both eventually disappear into the mist. With a panicked squeak, Lillil dashes headfirst into the dense fog.

Those fairies are going to pay for making a mockery of her trainer's feelings.

…

She finds Touko again after traversing the underground basement towards the southern part of the Dreamyard. The brown-haired trainer is alone as she stands in the tall grass and stares up at the thick forest cover. Lillil immediately notices that N isn't by her side.

Where did he go? An air of loneliness lingers with the fog around them. But, even with the thick cover blurring her vision, Lillil catches the tightly clenched fist by Touko's side.

A flash of bright white light engulfs the Lilligant's trainer. She sprouts a pair of majestic wings that glow with an ethereal shine. Her hair explodes into a fiery orange color just as the light shimmers away, leaving behind a dainty white dress.

Cure Flare.

The temperature drops. Feathers from Flare's pure white wings slowly fall off and freeze at her feet. She lets out a haunting scream as ice coats her arms, her hair, and her body.

"How could you do this to me?" Flare whispers to no one. Her voice, however, is certainly not her own. It rumbles with bitterness that no human can replicate. "Stop using my power! It is not yours to use!"

A gust of chilly air rushes towards the Lilligant. All she can do is brace herself as the world is swallowed by Flare's inhuman cry. Lillil spots a swarm of fairies circling above the Precure, sprinkling a shower of fairy dust. The pink-tinted fairy from before flies towards the grass-type Pokémon. It tugs Lillil towards the magical girl, who is now on the floor, clutching herself as if to protect herself from the cold.

"How could you say that to me?" Flare whimpers out, "I'm only trying to protect my home. I'm only trying to protect you. Why can't you see that, N?"

The icy, bitter edge in her voice hasn't gone away. Lillil's heart aches at the sight. She reaches out to touch the back of her trainer, and the white Swanna crumbles into a pile of ice and feathers. A jolt of electricity courses through the Lilligant's body, and the pain that it brings causes her to pass out.

As Lillil loses consciousness, silvery words begin to write themselves into the fog.

"_Once upon a time, there was a girl who was transformed into a Swanna. She fell in love with a prince, who promised to be by her side. But instead of them standing side by side, the white Swanna found herself fighting her prince, for he had forgotten about their love."_

…

"Squeak?!"

"Lillil!" Touko hovers over her with panic sullying her bright blue eyes. "I'm so glad you're awake! Please don't scare me like that again!"

The Flowering Pokémon is swept up into a tight hug. As Lillil wraps her arms around her trainer, she peeks over Touko's shoulder and sees N staring back with a worried frown and clutching his right hand. Next to him, a scientist with long, navy blue hair held back by a flower hair clip is typing into a laptop. She taps a key several times before retreating from her computer in a frustrated manner.

"What is this? Not only was I unable to see the rest of her dream, my data is completely gone. Musharna also started spewing clear mist…"

The researcher, Fennel, checks her Musharna for any injuries. The pink Pokémon coos sadly, just as bothered by what happened as her trainer. Lillil shoots N a confused expression.

"You were asleep for a while," he says. "A few days, in fact. Ever since Touko chased after you in the Dreamyard and brought you back."

That's right. Lillil remembers now. She was upset that she hasn't seen Touko fight as a magical girl, and to clear her mind, she went to the Dreamyard. There, she found the Shadow Triad turn Fennel into a Kugeki. It then spewed out some dream mist and put her to sleep.

Touko squeezes her Pokémon tighter. All Lillil can do is apologize softly to her trainer.

"It's okay, Lillil. I'm just glad you're alright…" Touko mutters out as if she understands what the grass-type is saying.

"Touko, you should let go of Lillil. She's going to suffocate," N suggests after seeing the Lilligant struggle to breath.

"Right, sorry."

She lets go and flashes a relieved smile. Lillil catches N still grasping his wrist and asks him if he's hurt.

"Ah, this? It's nothing. I was merely shocked by some electricity when I tried to wake you up. Don't fret, my friend."

His eyes are stormy, and his mind is consumed by some sort of turmoil. Lillil doesn't blame him. After all, the last part of her dream is the only thing she can think about.

...

"_**I see. That is rather troubling."**_

The Flowering Pokémon leans back against the tree she is resting on and stares up at the stars. In her lap is Reshiram's luxury ball. She has once again wandered off on her own to the Dreamyard, but this time, it's to gain guidance from the legendary dragon of truth. N had asked if she can tell him about her dream, but Lillil knows that she can't. Touko's secret is within that dream, and she has promised her trainer that she won't tell N about her powers as Cure Flare.

"_**That Kugeki had the ability to warp a person's desires. It is possible that its mist warped your vision of Cure Flare as a proud magical girl. Still, we can take this as a warning. I have to prepare the heroine's heart for when N discovers the truth."**_

The Lilligant gloomily stares at the luxury ball. Reshiram senses what its teammate is thinking.

"_**You believe that someone else was talking through my heroine. Is that what you are thinking?"**_

Lillil curtly nods. A low growl slips through Reshiram's mouth. _**"It is true that my heroine will never consider my power as her own. She is not the kind of person to lay a claim like that without my permission. She and I are a team, just like how you and the rest of the party lend your strength to her. If that is the case, then who was the one saying those words? Whose power is being used against their will?"**_

"I thought I would find you here, Lillil. And you have Reshiram with you. Have I finally caught you guys in one of your late-night talks?"

The grass-type Pokémon perks up when she hears her trainer walking towards her. Touko sits down next to her Pokémon and leans back to stare up at the stars.

"_**Heroine. There is something I must discuss with you."**_

She raises an eyebrow. "That's quite the serious tone, Reshiram. Honestly, I'm pretty beat, but it sounds like it's better if we talk now than later."

With Lillil's occasional remarks, Reshiram recounts the dream to its trainer. When Touko hears about the intimate display of affection between her dream self and dream N, she struggles to contain her raging heartbeat.

"B-But...Lillil! I know that you want me to be with N, but that's-! Great, now I can't stop thinking about it!"

The grass-type Pokémon snickers at her trainer's embarrassment. Of course, there are more scandalous things that she could have dreamed up, but seeing Reshiram's heroine, the definition of "unwavering resolve," get worked up over a simple embrace satisfies her mischievous side immensely. Even Reshiram manages to crack a smile.

"Ughh, I thought we were having a serious conversation."

"_**We are. It is reassuring that you are not denying your feelings."**_

"I never did," Touko huffs. "I'm just being realistic about the whole situation."

"_**Yes, and given that N did not own an Xtransceiver, the only way you can convey what you wanted to say to him is to tell him in person."**_

"Yeah, exactly! Wait, we're getting off-topic. I'm sure that isn't what you wanted to discuss with me."

"_**My apologies. Where was I?"**_

The light-hearted mood quickly turns sour once the legendary Pokémon explains the part of Lillil's dream where Cure Flare shatters into a million pieces.

"I...I don't know what to say. This could all be an illusion by the Kugeki meant to break and trap its captives. I want to believe that it won't come to that."

"_**It will not. N has changed, and he has new ideals that he is chasing after. Observing your journey with him has led me to believe this. He will accept the truth once we decipher how the Shadow Triad are going to bring back Ghetsis."**_

"As much as I appreciate your words, Reshiram, I'm going to need a bit more time to come to the same conclusion. I've spent most of the time that I've known him hating him. I don't want to feel that way again. I have to prove to him that I see him as a friend, not just with my words, but also with my actions. Otherwise, my guilt is going to prevent me from wholeheartedly believing that he has changed. Plus, I don't know what his ideals are right now. I need to spend more time with him and find out what he believes in for myself."

"_**A sound decision. It is important to resolve your doubts. Now, there is only one more thing that I wanted to point out to you."**_

Touko feels an unnatural chill down her spine. "I'm going to guess it's the part about me turning into ice."

"_**Yes. Lillil believes that someone was trying to speak to her using you as a vessel. It seems that this entity's power is being used against its will."**_

"This isn't the Kugeki talking to Lillil, right?" Touko questions. The Lilligant fervently shakes her head and says something to Reshiram.

"_**No, its voice is far too sinister for it to be the Kugeki. Remember that the Kugeki uses the inner thoughts of the human it possesses."**_

"_Yeah, there's no reason for Fennel to say such a thing. What in the world are we dealing with? Can I even trust that this dream isn't a red herring? But if Reshiram believes that it is worth taking seriously..."_

Touko's head hurts from thinking too hard. "I think I need to call it a night. There's too much to worry about, and honestly, I just need some sleep. Come on, you two. We can talk about this later."

…

N isn't able to sleep that night. Even after Touko had safely returned with Lillil and Reshiram, he finds that sleep is being elusive again. Those silvery words that emerged in his mind as he attempted to wake up the Lilligant from her miniature coma continue to haunt him, drawing him into its cryptic story.

"_Another fragment of the fairy tale. What conclusion is it trying to reach? Who is showing me this? And why?"_

He turns his body so that he's observing Touko as she sleeps. Even in the dark room, N can see her silhouette steadily breathing up and down. He finds that her cap is on the floor. It must have fallen off the bedside drawer after she haphazardly flung it off her head.

She must have been exhausted. As loving and close as Touko is to her team, keeping six vastly different Pokemon in check is no easy task. It makes his heart swell at experiencing firsthand just how much effort she puts into caring for her party.

Picking the hat up, N pats off some of the dust and twirls it on his finger.

A small part of him wonders how he'll look with it on. Will Touko even let him wear it? Mei did say that small bonding moments are key to establishing trust between two people. Maybe exchanging hats might be a good start.

He gently places the cap onto his chest and closes his eyes. He'll ask her in the morning.

…

N finds that he and the color pink is a combination he needs to get used to, and Touko discovers that his hat is the perfect size for hiding her scarlet red cheeks. And, as they leave Striation City after swapping caps, Lillil pops out from her Poke Ball and asks Touko for one thing.

"You want to learn Dream Eater?"

**Profile: Fennel**

**A researcher studying Pokémon trainers and Pokémon dreams. She met Professor Juniper in college and would occasionally help her in her research. While she has many accomplishments under her name, the most impressive of them is establishing a connection between Game Sync, a technique that can extract the memories of a sleeping Pokémon, and the Entralink, a mysterious place in the middle of the Unova region that allows the dreams of Pokémon to become a reality. Right now, she's researching the Pokémon dream world and the effects that it has on the real world.**

**Team (Assistants): Munna and Musharna**


	10. Accumula City's Furret Walk!

**Chapter 10: It Attacc, It Protecc, But Most Importantly, It Walcc?! Accumula City's Furret Walk!**

N has never seen Touko train her Pokémon before.

He had many opportunities to do so in the past, especially during their time in Chargestone Cave, when he tested her by obstructing her path with a select group of Team Plasma. He admits that he had spent a good portion of his initial journey gathering information about her and assessing her character, but when it comes to how she is towards her Pokémon, N can only describe her team's unwavering trust towards their trainer. A part of him was reluctant to learn how exactly people train their Pokémon, after all.

So when Touko tilts her head and hums softly, N decides to watch her closely.

"How do I teach you Dream Eater?" she mumbles. "First, we're going to need a Pokémon durable enough to endure several attempts. Ah, that's it!"

She whips out a quick ball from her bag. "Come on out, Valyn!"

The Vanilluxe huffs out some cold air when he is released from his ball. He waves at N and Touko with his tiny, icy hands.

"Valyn, can you help me with something? I just need you to go to sleep for a while."

The ice-type Pokémon catches Lillil's gaze. She grins shyly and lifts her leafy arms up. Valyn realizes instantly what exactly his trainer wants him to do. He slowly shifts his vision from Lillil to Touko and back to Lillil again.

"Clink!" Valyn keeps his carefree smile. Touko lets out a triumphant cheer and leads her Pokémon towards the tall grass.

"Alright, let's do this! Lillil, Sleep Powder!" The Lilligant releases a cloud of green pollen over the ice cream Pokémon. A drop of cold drool drips down from Valyn's mouth as he dozes off to sleep.

"Perfect, now try to find his dream and then absorb it into yourself," Touko instructs. Lillil closes her eyes and concentrates on her teammate. As she focuses, a small pink cloud is drawn from the ice-type Pokémon, and a visible look of discomfort distorts Valyn's usual carefree smile. The manifested dream hovers over to Lillil, who then swallows it whole.

"_Did she do it?" _the heroine asks herself. She gets her answer a moment later when Lillil collapses to the ground, clutching her head.

"Ah! Lillil!" her trainer gasps as she rushes to her Pokémon's side. As she cradles the Lilligant, N makes a cursory glance and recognizes the pained look on her face.

"She has a brain freeze," he states.

"What?" Touko dumbly blurts out. "You mean that Valyn's dream was too cold for her to handle? How does that even work?"

N hums. "It might be a side-effect of her move failing. For now, let's treat her headache."

"Right." Touko pulls a Full Heal out from her bag and sprays a bit of the medicine onto her Pokémon. "Does that feel better?"

The Flowering Pokémon nods her head several times before slowly steadying herself on her foot. She turns to the sleeping Vanilluxe and closes her eyes again.

"Alright! This time, for sure! Use Dream Eater!"

What follows is a cycle of brain freezes and failed attempts. After an hour of this, Touko throws her hands up in frustration.

"Arggh! This isn't working!" she cries, "I don't know what we're doing wrong."

"I wonder…" N bends down to the Lilligant and asks, "Can you tell me how exactly you're absorbing the dream?"

With her arms, Lillil mimics the act of prying something apart and then engulfing it.

"She said that she's been absorbing the dream as it is. There must be a missing link between the dream manifesting and her absorbing it. If that's the case, then I have an idea."

Facing Touko's Pokémon again, N suggests, "Lillil, try using Dream Eater as you would with Giga Drain."

The grass-type Pokémon nods and concentrates again. A storm of pink dust swirls around the Vanilluxe, and his slight grimace morphs into a knocked out expression. A pink aura surrounds Lillil as the energy of his dreams entered her body.

Touko gasps as her Pokémon completes the move. "T-That's it!"

Lillil twirls once and smiles up at N. He merely grins back and pats the flower on her head. "Your welcome. I'm glad my advice was helpful."

N turns to Touko, who's staring with gratefulness in her eyes.

"You really saved me a lot of time. It would have taken me several more hours to realize that," she admits.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Even though I'm super close to my Pokémon, that doesn't mean I understand everything about them. I'm still learning something new every day. That's why I dedicate a lot of time when I train them. It's not just because I want to win battles."

"I never knew that," N says, "I assumed that you were naturally gifted as a trainer."

"Nope, not at all! Just dedication and hard work."

That faraway haze reappears in his gray eyes. _"Of course. Being a trainer is a lot more than giving commands to your Pokémon in a battle. Touko is no different from an average trainer, and yet, she possesses such immense strength."_

"Oh no! I think we pushed it a bit too far. Valyn fainted," Touko rushes over to her unconscious Pokemon, "Accumula Town isn't too far from here. I'm going to take him to the Pokémon Center."

"I'll be right behind you."

"Okay, let's go!"

…

When they exit the gate leading into Accumula Town, the two immediately notice that there is something off about the place.

The town itself hasn't changed much. The three apartment-style buildings are still there as well as the small house on the hill behind the Pokémon Center. The town square in the center looks exactly the same as the last time Touko was here.

There's just a bunch of Furret everywhere.

Some are walking with the townspeople, brushing up against their legs or running around them as a cute gesture to grab their attention. A few are resting at the town square, savoring the only patch of grass in the concrete pavement.

But then, Touko spots a few walking up the walls of the apartments. One of the Furret resting on one of the rooftops suddenly leaps across to the next building. The gap is too wide for a normal jump to cover, but the Furret clears the leap as if it's playing around in a small river. Its friends must have been impressed, for they also take turns jumping across the rooftops and back as some sort of chicken game.

Both Touko and N gasp at the feat.

"Hey, N. Have you met any Furret that can walk on walls or jump like that?" she whispers.

"No, I have not," N mumbles back with the same astonished tone. "Something is not right here."

A lone Furret looks over the edge of the roof, claps its hands together, and soars into the sky. Its majestic and long body temporarily blocks the sun as it basks in the gentle breeze that pets its fur. The wild Pokémon begins to dip as if to fall, but it presses its tiny paws against the air and uses the momentum to slowly walk to the ground.

"D-Did that Furret just walk in the air?!" Touko exclaims, "What is going on?! I think my head just imploded."

"I'm going to talk to them. They should know the reason why we're seeing such an impossible formula." N leaves her side and heads to the first Furret that he finds. Touko continues to blankly observe the Furret, who are now walking back up to the rooftop the same way it came down from it.

"_**Heroine, are you alright?"**_

"_No. No, I'm not. Why isn't anyone else bothered by this?"_

"_**Let us question the townspeople. We must ascertain the truth."**_

Touko's gaze lands on N. He's surrounded by three Furret, and he reaches his hand out to pet one of them. A genuinely serene smile accompanies his approachable demeanor as he asks for information about the strange happenings in the town.

"_Yeah, I can leave the wild Pokémon to him." _

...

Upon exploring the town more, Touko realizes that there are an abnormally high number of trainers hanging around. Some have been training at the town square, battling against each other, but most are just lingering around, seemingly uneasy. The heroine asks a few of them for information regarding the Furret, but she keeps getting the same answer: they have always been like that, ever since they have stepped foot in the town.

After getting that response a third time, Touko instead asks, "There's a lot of trainers hanging around. Is there some sort of tournament happening here soon?"

A blue-haired boy shakes his head. "No, that's not it at all. I would be out of here if I can, but something is trapping us here."

"What do you mean?"

"I think it's best if you try to leave yourself. For some reason, only the trainers are trapped. The people living here who don't have a Pokemon are allowed to come and go as they please. We've been trying to come up with a solution, but at this point, I might just release my Pokemon and then recapture them."

After thanking the trainer, Touko heads back towards the gate. She passes through the entrance leading to Route 3 and finds herself staring at the giant herd of Furret running around the town square once again.

"_No way. How can this be?"_

"Touko!" N calls, "I saw you try to leave town. Did you find something?"

"Well…"

After explaining what the other trainers have told her, N glances at the gate. "The Furret told me the same thing. We can't continue our journey if we're stuck here."

"Woah, I did not expect to see this," a voice chimes in from behind them. Touko recoils, while N leisurely smiles.

"Hello, Mei," he greets, "How is Nacrene City doing?"

"Doing better, that's for sure," she nods, "Lenora said that she can handle the rest, so I'm doing my own stuff again."

"Busy as ever, I see. What are you doing today?"

Mei points to her bag. "I actually have to deliver something to Professor Juniper, but since you guys are also heading to Nuvema Town, I thought I should catch up to you two...Oh!"

Mei's eyes are drawn to the black and white cap on Touko's head. Her head flicks over to N, where Touko's pink and white hat rests. Mei cheekily grins, leaning forward and resting her pointer finger and her thumb on her chin. Her patented thinking face.

"Touko, when did you start wearing N's hat?"

"Today, actually."

"Ohhh? And how did this happen?" Mei teasingly probes.

"This morning, I asked her if we could swap, and she said yes. It's going to take some time to get used to," N explains.

"Annnd, why's that?"

"Because pink is not a color I'm used to seeing on me."

"I think it fits you," Mei beams, "You could use some more color, anyway. Right, Touko?"

The heroine shakes her head. "He looks better in black and white."

"No way! He needs something that accentuates his green hair!"

"His hair already stands out! Besides, not many colors match that shade of green!"

"But the pink of your hat does!"

N blinks at the two arguing trainers. Reshiram chuckled from within its luxury ball. _**"How amusing."**_

"Ahh! What are we doing?!" Touko cries out, "This is no time for arguing! We need to find a way to leave this town!"

N catches the confusion on Mei's face. "We should ask Nurse Joy if she knows more," he suggests. "I can explain on the way there, Mei."

The actress's smile curves nervously. "T-This can't be good."

…

After placing Valyn in Nurse Joy's care, Touko and her friends learn that the Furret have arrived at Accumula Town three months ago, and the strange physics-defying phenomenon that they've been seeing came around the same time. The trainers who have been trapped here have heard rumors about the town and wanted to investigate for themselves.

Exiting the Pokemon Center, they see the Furret walking down the streets in perfect unity. A flute clearly rings throughout the town, playing a breezy tune accompanied by a keyboard piano and an archlute. The Furret walk to the beat, even occasionally chirping in unison whenever the chorus repeats. Some of the trainers are recording the performance on their Xtransceivers.

"Aww, they're so cute!" Mei coos. "I wonder if they'll let me join them."

Touko laughs. "They're really getting into it. I'm sure they don't-!" Before she can finish her sentence, Mei is already strolling with the wild Pokemon, humming the song as she does.

"She certainly marches at her own pace," Touko mumbles. N grins as the Furret begin to head their way. The heroine loses her balance when several Furret walk behind her and shove her towards the crowd of wild Pokemon. They pay no mind to Touko's startled gasp as they sweep her off her feet, carrying her on their backs. Returning to their little march as if they haven't just snatched a bystander, the Furret drag Touko around the town.

Mei clutches her stomach, tears forming in her eyes from laughing too hard. "Nice job, Furret!"

"Ohhh, once I figure out how to escape from this, I'm gonna get you, Mei!"

"If you can escape!"

N chuckles at their antics, captivated by the bright smiles on their faces. After the wild Pokemon complete their second loop around town, he rushes to the horde and attempts to free Touko from their grasp. However, the Furret are determined to keep her hostage, and they scurry away from him, bringing her to one of the apartments. They start scaling up the wall with Touko in tow.

"I hope I don't fall," she prays. Once the Furret reach the rooftop, they let her down. She picks herself up and takes in the view. Below are the trainers, all staring back up at her. Past the city boundaries is Route 1, a long trail of grass and trees that split in two directions. From Touko's right, a tiny sea separates the main route from its eastern half. Over the trees, she can see the gate leading into Route 17. And further down, a large ship with white sails and a large booster at its tail lingers in the sky.

"A ship?" Touko wonders. "What is it doing there?"

"That's the Plasma Frigate," Mei answers as she casually struts up the apartment wall to stand by the heroine's side. "After everything that happened with Neo Team Plasma, they thought it would be best to dock it there."

"They?"

"The ex-members of Neo Team Plasma and my acquaintance."

"...You mean Colress?"

"Yes. You don't need to worry about them planning anything. Without Ghetsis, they can't do anything."

Touko tips her hat down. _"But the Shadow Triad are trying to bring him back. If they do, will those ex-members follow him again? I can't let that happen."_

Mei glances at the heroine as she lifts her head up and rests her gaze at the small patch of houses at the end of her vision. "Do you miss Nuvema Town?" she asks.

"Yeah, I do, even though I always thought it was a bit too quiet for me."

"It's definitely different from Aspertia City. Living in a place that small makes you want to see the world."

"I think I've seen enough of the world for now. I guess I'm at the point where I want to settle down for a bit."

A soft grin rests on Mei's face. "After this journey with N, right?"

"I...actually came back to remind myself why I was searching for him. I've roamed at least five different regions, chasing rumor after rumor, and it made me think that N doesn't want to be found. That I was being purposely misled. It became harder to control my frustration, and that slowly made me forget what it is I wanted to tell him. So I came back to the Nimbasa City Ferris Wheel and..."

"You found him again."

Touko can only nod.

"Have you asked him if he got your message?" Mei questions. The heroine turns her gaze to the floor. "No, I have not. Our journey-!"

She stops herself then. If she reveals that their journey so far has been a roller coaster of confusion and embarrassment that drained her strength and sanity, Mei is going to ask why.

"Uh, well, actually...I've just been so absorbed in our journey that I keep forgetting to ask him. N is moving forward into the future, and I should do the same. I don't want him to dwell on his past."

"I get what you're saying. But I think you shouldn't ignore your other feelings either. If you have something you want to say to him, you should. I guarantee you that he'll listen."

Touko blinks at Mei's words. "I'll keep that in mind."

...

When the blue sky is slowly swept aside by orange and pink light, Touko and her friends face a new problem.

"You're out of rooms?" the heroine echoes back to Nurse Joy.

"I'm afraid so," the nurse replies. "With this many trainers and no way of knowing when they can finally leave town, there have been many battles fought over these rooms. To be honest, I've stopped registering people into my log because of how many times the room keys get traded around."

"That is troubling to hear," N says. "I'd imagine that you've been busy nursing their Pokemon after their battles."

"Yes. Oh, but don't worry about me. I hardly get any work since this is such a small town, so this is a welcome change."

"So, I guess we're camping outside tonight," Touko remarks as they exit the Pokemon Center. "I don't have a problem with that."

"Have you ever slept while hugging a Furret?" N eagerly asks the heroine. "A Furret's fur is very soft. It's almost like a second blanket."

"No, I haven't. Is it really that soft?"

Mei is toying with her Xtransceiver when she gasps a bit too loudly. "Oh no, it's going to rain tonight!"

"Wait, what?" Touko hovers over Mei's shoulder, spotting the small rain cloud on the screen. "No...I don't want to sleep out in the rain."

"Then we should obtain a room key," N suggests. "Let's split up and find out which of these trainers have one."

Mei heads toward the park, immediately pulling out a Poke Ball and pointing it at them. N walks down to the gate leading to Route 1, asking any trainers that he bumps into. Touko enters the Pokemon Center again.

"Alright! Time to investigate again!"

It doesn't take her long to find someone who has a room key. A black-haired trainer is leisurely swinging his around, watching the line of trainers waiting for Nurse Joy to treat their Pokemon with a smug grin. She can feel that jolt of excitement course through her veins. She's going to wipe that smile off of his face.

"I challenge you to a battle for that key!" Touko pronounces, her eyes flashing with determination. The random trainer merely snorts.

"Another one? Well, it doesn't matter to me. My Pokemon is only going to be stronger from this. I accept your challenge. Let's take this outside!"

Once the two are a good distance away from the Pokemon Center, Touko releases her Pokemon first. A small crowd gathers around them, and Mei and N squeeze their way through to watch their friend battle.

"Pele, let's go! That room key will be ours!" A zebra-like Pokemon stomps her hooves against the concrete. A wave of electricity travels down her white mane. The random trainer releases a Beartic, a bipedal, polar-bear-like Pokemon with an icy beard and tufts of white fur over its stomach.

"Pele, Ion Deluge!" Golden particles disperse from Pele's black and white body. The tiny orbs scatter throughout the town, and some of them bump against a thin blue layer high above.

"Beartic, Icicle Crash!" Condensing air in its hands, the ice-type Pokemon forms a sharp dagger and hurls it at the Zebstrika. Pele, without moving from her spot, bursts into flames. The instant combustion lessens the impact of the Beartic's attack, steam erupting from Pele's head where the ice shard hits her.

"Flame Charge! Don't give the Beartic a chance to breathe!" Fueled by her trainer's command, Pele charges towards her opponent. She runs with the speed of lightning, fire flickering behind her. The Beartic stumbles each time Pele strikes, the speed of her attacks growing with each hit.

"Ugh! Use Super-!"

"Not a chance! Double Edge!" Touko shouts. The electric particles saturated in the air come to life as Pele tucks in her head and bashes against the polar bear-like Pokemon. They crash in between the two benches in the park mindlessly watching the battle. A wave of faint blue energy ripples across the town, disguised by the yellow aura emitting from Pele's Ion Deluge. Pele retreats to her trainer's side and waits for her next orders.

"Get up, Beartic! I know you have some fight left in you!" Responding to its trainer's voice, the ice-type Pokemon shakily picks itself up. Small burn marks litter its body. It takes a step forward but then has to immediately clutch its stomach.

Touko, after noticing that her opponent won't last much longer, commands her Pokemon to use Flame Charge once again. After the consecutive speed boosts from earlier, Pele closes the gap, ready to finish it off. That is...until a Furret walks in between Pele and her target.

"Ahhhh! Pele, stop! Stop!"

Touko's order does little to prevent the inevitable collision. The wild Pokemon stands on its hind legs as Pele, unable to slow down, charges towards it. At the last second, a thin barrier surrounds the Furret, protecting it from taking damage from the Flame Charge.

The heroine deeply sighs. Her opponent irritatedly shakes his head. "Ugh, they always do this! Don't they know it's rude to interrupt a battle like this?!"

The Furret, after tilting its head at the annoyed trainer, calls for its friends to join it. Soon, their battlefield is drowning in Furret, all weaving their way around the Beartic and under the Zebstrika. The group then splits up, some heading to the ice-type, while the others stand by Pele's side.

Touko hears the crackle of lightning, but it isn't coming from her Pokemon. The Furret on her side all release a pillar of electricity towards Pele, clapping their hands as their attacks serve to charge the Zebstrika. The temperature then drops, and gusts of snow swirl through the battlefield.

"Stop, stop!" Touko's opponent cries out. "Stop using Blizzard!"

The heroine can't help but grin. She understands what the wild Pokemon are doing, and she jumps on the chance they have given her. "Wild Charge, Pele!"

The Furret scatter for the hills the moment Touko issues her command. Pele's attack connects with the Beartic instantaneously, a lightning bolt traveling on land. Another large wave of blue energy engulfs the town, but just like the first pulse, no one seems to notice.

The battle is over. After retreating from the fainted Beartic, Pele trots to the defeated trainer and gingerly plucks the room key from his waist.

"Good job, Pele," the heroine says as she takes the key from Pele's mouth. "I can tell you were itching for a battle." The Zebstrika merely snorts, lifting her head defiantly.

"That was amazing!" Mei exclaims as she runs up and fawns over Pele. The electric-type Pokemon dodges each of Mei's attempts to pet her, even going so far as to stomp her hooves and let a few sparks race down her body as a warning.

"You might want to stop, Mei," N says. "Pele doesn't like strangers touching her. You'll get shocked at that rate."

The actress stares at him as he flashes a bashful grin at the Zebstrika. "Wait a minute. Don't tell me you're speaking from experience?"

"He sure is," Touko interjects. "Back when I was visiting the Nacrene City Museum for the first time, after I battled against N, Pele wasn't happy when he said he was going to save all Pokemon. He gave her a pitiful look and tried to pet her, but instead, she shocked him really hard."

"Really?!" Mei gasps. "Now that I think about it, I can totally see that happening!"

The two female trainers laugh. N catches Pele eyeing him with a glare.

"...I guess you still don't trust me," he states. The Zebstrika nods and withdraws back into her Poke Ball.

"Well, time to see what kind of room we got!" Touko says as she dashes to the Pokemon Center. N trails after her, trying to get her to slow down. Mei watches them run off before turning her gaze to the park, a thin frown on her face.

...

The moon rises and casts a sleeping spell onto the rural town. Touko collapses onto the bed, the only bed in the room, after winning a three-way argument about who gets to sleep on it. Well, she wouldn't call it a win. Apparently, the three of them all wanted someone else to claim the bed, and that sparked a debate that only ended with several rounds of rock-paper-scissors.

At first, only the sound of rustling sleeping bags pokes at her tired consciousness. Her mind drifts into a dream that involves her standing in the heavy rain at a train station. The umbrella in her hands does nothing to stop her from getting wet. The wind shoves her from behind, and flashes of blue light race among the clouds.

"_**Heroine, wake up!"**_

Touko sits up, ready to scream. Her mouth automatically opens, a scold waiting on her tongue, but a leafy arm covers it.

"Lillil? Why are you up so late?!" she harshly whispers.

"_**I requested her assistance in waking you. But now is no time for your usual lecture. You must hurry and transform!"**_

"Wait, why?! Don't tell me-!"

"_**I sense Cure Bolt's power."**_

Touko glances down at the luxury ball. Now that she is more awake, she can hear the harsh splash of heavy rain splattering against the doors of the Pokemon Center. The steady chorus of thunder rings in her ears. Neon blue lightning chases away the darkness of the night.

"Lillil, watch over N. If he wakes up, use Sleep Powder." The grass-type Pokemon salutes and hops off of her trainer. The heroine pushes herself off of the bed and notes the empty sleeping bag lying next to N's sleeping form. The light from their bathroom is on, squeezing through the tiny gaps of the doorframe.

"_Oh, Mei's using the bathroom. I should transform in another place."_

Opening the door as quietly as she can, Touko tiptoes her way to another bathroom further down the hall. She closes the door and then wills herself to transform.

"The Heroine of Truth, Cure Flare!"

When the Precure flies out of the Pokemon Center and into the pouring rain, she is greeted with the sight of chaos. Gray clouds prevent the moonlight from seeping into the town. Pillars of lightning crash down onto a massive Wobbuffet, which towers over the apartment buildings around it. A small, black streak flickers within the storm of blue, crashing into the giant Pokemon.

Cure Bolt spawns in front of Cure Flare with another flash of lightning. She's breathing heavily, her legs wobbling from the effort to keep herself on her feet. The Wobbuffet coats its cyan body with neon blue energy, which it then releases with a pained cry. Bolt raises her arms and braces herself.

Jumping in front of the blue-haired Precure without hesitation, Flare places her hands up and blocks the attack with a wall of fire. The rain pours down on her shield, creating a blast of hot steam that coats the two magical girls.

"Are you okay, Bolt?" Flare questions.

"Y-Yeah, thanks."

Now that she is in a position to see the front of Cure Bolt, Flare takes in the petal-shaped sleeve on her right shoulder and the blue ribbon on her chest that is shaped like a pair of bells. She is also wearing a choker, but instead of the plain silver one that she has, it's black with a hexagon ornament and a bow that serves as its clasp. Bolt's top is short, like her tutu skirt, ending just above her stomach. Her hands are covered by a pair of fingerless black gloves. Black stockings stretch down to her ankles, where a band of blue hexagons separates them from her black boots.

"_She has a very simple outfit...Is that because of her or because of the Pokemon lending her its power?"_

Flare shoves those thoughts away. She can come back to them later. "So is this what's trapping the people of this town?"

"Correct. I've been attacking it with all I have, but it's being really stubborn."

Flare turns to the giant Wobbuffet. "Let me give it a shot!" She winds up her fist and launches herself forward. A burst of steam erupts from the impact of her punch to the Wobbuffet's guts. She follows up with a swift front kick and then a roundhouse kick, but the giant Pokemon doesn't budge from its spot. This time, a red aura surrounds its cyan skin, and Flare is sent back once it releases that energy back to her. She summons five fireballs and aims it at the Wobbuffet, but the rain shrinks their sizes, and by the time they reach their intended target, they are as small as a Poke Ball.

Cure Bolt lines her fists with plasma and pounds its guts just as Cure Flare bashes her foot into the Wobbuffet's face. Its body swings back before rebounding to its original position, reversing the force and springboarding the two Precures back towards the Pokemon Center. The Wobbuffet releases another shockwave of red energy that hits them both, and while Flare is merely shoved against the Pokemon Center, Bolt is sent flying into the trees bordering the town.

"Bolt!"

"Tch...I know that Wobbuffet have a lot of endurance, but still! This is ridiculous!"

"_**This rain is also decreasing the power of your attacks, Flare," **_Reshiram chimes in. _**"We have no way of stopping it, so we are at a disadvantage."**_

"_Reshiram, are you in my bag?"_

"_**Yes."**_

"_Focus on her powers. If you sense anything familiar, tell me later. For now, I need to cooperate with her."_

"_**Very well, Flare."**_

"Bolt, do you have any ideas on how to take it down?"

The blue-haired magical girl closes her eyes as she lets out a short groan. "If this is a Wobbuffet, then we have to overwhelm it. The problem is that it is seemingly able to take a full-on attack with ease."

"Then let's do a combination attack," Flare suggests. "It can't take two attacks at once. You've already weaken it a great deal, too."

Bolt perks up, as if struck with an idea. "Yes, and I've just come up with the perfect combo! I want you to use that move you unleashed back in Nacrene City."

The orange-haired Precure recoils in shock. "Wait, you were there?"

"Of course. I was keeping an eye on you to see the depths of your determination. Your battle in Nacrene City left quite a strong impression on me."

"I'm glad to hear that. Okay, I'll follow your lead," Flare says, flashing a bright smile. "I'm not sure what you plan to do, but I'll trust you."

Bolt returns her smile. "Thank you, Flare. You have to attack it first since the rain is lowering your power. I'll launch my attack right after."

"Alright, here I go!" Fire roars in her ears as she centers her power into her fingertips. A white turbine sprouts from her bag, churning the fiery heat in her blood. An orange aura surrounds her. She points both of her pointer fingers, now lit with a pair of flickering embers, up and concentrates on forming a large sphere of fire. The rain flees from the heat gathering within her grasp. Orange light bathes the sleepy town.

Flare winces from the effort she has to put in. _"I-It's still really hard to control this!"_

"_**I am with you, Flare. Now, together!"**_

"Precure!" Flare and Reshiram proclaim as she crosses her pointer fingers together before slamming her hands down. "Fusion Flare!"

White feathers circle around the fireball. The makeshift sun slowly ascends past the rainclouds before swallowing the Wobbuffet whole. For a moment, it scatters the dreary cover and allows the moon to cast its light over the town.

The crackle of lightning ends the brief reprise of clear skies. Neon blue electricity ignites from Cure Bolt, and two rings of energy encases her. A black turbine charged with electricity attaches itself to her bag. Her eyes open, her preparations complete. She flies to the retreating clouds and congregates them within her orbit. Five dots transfixed in a pentagon shape hover over the giant Pokemon, with another larger dot in the middle. The flames from Cure Flare's attack begin to wane.

"Precure!" Bolt exclaims. "Fusion Bolt!"

She crashes down onto the Wobbuffet with an ear-splitting _boom_. Six thunderbolts, one of them split in half by a black streak, drop down from the formation in the clouds and imprint a burnt pentagon into the town square. The two benches snap; fissures of charred wood imbedded into the back of the seats. The tree behind the giant Pokemon, meanwhile, is cut open, and a core of molten orange spews forth from the trunk.

The Wobbuffet shrinks down to its normal size, letting out a bewildered cry as it reverts back to normal. A gray object similar to the one found in Nacrene City tumbles towards Cure Bolt.

She bends down to pick it up, but her legs give out.

"W-Woah!"

"I got you!" Flare says, grabbing Bolt's arm and steadying her.

"Thank you," Bolt sheepishly says. "That took a lot more out of me than I thought."

"Looks like there are some things you don't know." The blue-haired magical girl pouts at Flare's cheeky comment.

"You're more of an enigma than anything else I've been dealing with."

"Is that so? Honestly, I would be too, if I was in your position."

Bolt runs her finger over the object she had just picked up. Flare notices this and asks, "That came from the Wobbuffet, right? What is that?"

"It's the device the Shadow Triad used to transform Pokemon into Kugekis. However, this is an earlier model, so it doesn't have the capabilities to fuse humans and Pokemon together."

"An earlier...model?"

"I'm sure they've told you this before, but what they're doing is experimenting on people and Pokemon. They clearly believe that fusing humans and Pokemon together will help them achieve their goal, but as for how the two are connected...that's something I'm still trying to figure out."

Flare frowns. "So you also don't know how they're going to bring Ghetsis back."

Bolt nods as she tucks the device into her bag. "While I'm grateful for your assistance, I am still going to keep the terms of our agreement. Figure out who I am, and I will join you."

"_Still going to make us chase for hints, huh?"_

"I think we deserve another hint, don't you think?" Flare attempts to negotiate. Bolt flashes a cheeky grin, one that's too familiar in Flare's eyes.

"I already gave you one, Cure Flare. Now, goodnight."

...

The morning sun pokes at N's back, and the slight brush of heat is enough to pull him back from the realm of sleep. He hears the rustling of a sleeping bag next to him.

"Morning, N," Mei says as she rolls up her sleeping bag.

"Good morning. What time is it?"

"Close to ten. Did you know there was a thunderstorm last night? I'm surprised that you slept through it. You're normally a really light sleeper."

He takes a peek out of the window and squints at the crowd of people huddling around the town square. The wild Furret are nowhere to be seen.

"There's some commotion outside, but I can't see what it is. Come with me, Mei. I don't want to wake up Touko just yet."

"Letting her sleep, huh? Good idea. Let's go."

After fixing himself up for the day and putting Touko's hat on his head, N and Mei exit the Pokemon Center and squeeze their way through the crowd. The former king gasps as he takes in the sight of the tree oozing a searing orange color and the benches destroyed beyond repair. The charred pentagon etched into the grass looks freshly made.

"Who could have done this?" N questions. "Could it be from the thunderstorm? I've never seen lightning naturally strike in such a matter. No, it can't be natural."

"Guys!" A trainer shouts from the western gate. "I-I can leave town! We can leave now!"

N and Mei turn to the cheerful cry, observing the hoard of trainers rushing into the gate.

"Alright, we're not stuck here anymore!" the actress exclaims.

"We've only been here for a day," N cheekily notes. Mei heads back to the Pokemon Center, but N lingers behind to stare at the strange shape drawn into the park.

"_First, it was the giant specter in Nacrene City. And now, this and the weird barrier surrounding this town. There's something happening in this region, and I have to figure out what that is."_

"N, are you going to join me for breakfast?" Mei calls, peeking her head out from the Pokemon Center entrance.

"Ah, yes. In a bit."

…

N wonders why he's the one risking his life here.

He nervously gazes at Mei, who is at the opposite corner of the room watching him with her usual playful smile. He glances at the girl sleeping on the bed and places his hand on her shoulders.

He shakes her once. Touko groans. He shakes her a bit harder. Touko swats his hand away.

"I can't do this, Mei," he hisses. "She's going to attack me if I wake her up."

"Come on, N! You need to get used to this sooner or later. Besides, it's almost noon! I wanna get moving already."

Conceding to his fate, N once again grabs Touko's shoulders and rattles her.

"Touko, wake up," he says. "Please wake up."

"Hmmmmm...give me five more minutes…"

"No, Touko. Get up now."

He lifts her head up from her pillow. Her eyes snap open, registering N's slightly miffed frown. She doesn't immediately notice how close N is to her, but once she does, she backs up against the bed frame.

Unperturbed by her behavior, N greets, "Good morning, Touko. I'm sorry for interrupting your sleep, but everyone here, including your Pokemon, are ready to head out. The barrier around the town is gone, which means we can continue our journey."

Touko rubs her eyes as she tries to register what he's saying. _"The barrier's...gone? Of course it is...Cure Bolt and I were…"_

She sits up straight. _"That's right! Last night, we reverted a Wobbuffet back to normal…!"_

N heaves a sigh of relief when Touko doesn't immediately scold him. "We'll be waiting for you downstairs," he says as he pulls away and gets off the bed. "Take your time."

Mei and N exit the room, leaving Touko alone to prepare for the day.After stumbling through her morning routine, she picks up N's hat and places it on her head.

"_I really wish I could sleep more. At least I didn't collapse for three days…"_

"_**You can sleep all you want once you reach Nuvema Town. Let us not keep your friends waiting."**_

"_Before we go down, did you figure out what Cure Bolt's hint is?"_

"_**I have a theory, but I am not confident in my answer yet. There is a certain piece that I need in order to accept my hypothesis as truth."**_

"_I see. I'll brainstorm with you once we have some time to ourselves, but for now, let's go home."_

Heading down the hall to the lobby of the Pokemon Center, Touko finds N and Mei talking to a group of musicians. N has that glint in his eyes, a sign that he is ensnared in their conversation.

"Touko! Perfect timing!" Mei greets, spotting the heroine first. "Alright, let's go!" She grabs Touko's wrist and drags her out the door, N and the musicians trailing behind them.

"Slow down, Mei! Where are you going?"

"Those musicians want us to listen to a piece of theirs. They said that the inspiration for it was N!"

They head to the house on the hill behind the Pokemon Center. As one girl picks up her violin that was resting in its case, another girl delicately runs her fingers down her piano. A boy in a purple shirt grabs his drumsticks and sits down in front of his drums. Another male musician blows into his trumpet, warming up with a few practice notes.

The girl with the violin sets a beat with a metronome and then turns to her audience.

"We'll play the piece twice. We don't really have a name for this song yet, but nonetheless, please tell us what you think at the end."

They start with the sound of brisk anticipation, like someone walking up towards an ominous place. The violin and trumpet commands the starting melody, with the piano joining shortly afterward to bring a sense of drive and serenity into the piece. It then culminates into a glorious calling that speaks of the true meaning of resolve. A soft brass solo at the end drags the melody back to its earlier motif of acceptance before it repeats back to the beginning of the piece.

Once they have finished their performance, N claps enthusiastically, evidently moved by the emotions conveyed by the performers. The violinist and the rest of her group, after moving away from their instruments, bow to their audience.

"It is a lovely melody," N praises, "It captures the inner turmoil of a hero and the trials he had to face as he faces the future."

Mei grins. "For me, I hear a hero returning to his former glory, eager to set things right."

The violinist turns to Touko, who has been oddly silent. "And what do you think?"

Reshiram's heroine lifts her head up. A glint of remorse lingers in her blue eyes. "I hear...a hero who must accept her destiny of bringing a king down."

…

As the song resonates over the town, a Furret looks up one of the apartments and gently pats the brick wall. Without hesitation, it crawls up the wall, reaching the rooftop to take in the view of the Plasma Frigate.

**Profile: Pele**

**The Thunderbolt Pokémon. Touko met Pele back when she was a Blitzle living on Route 3. Her aggressive nature stems from wanting to prove herself as an able fighter. She's one to attack first and ask questions later. In battle, she's a reckless Pokemon, willing to charge in headfirst, even if it means taking recoil damage. Because of this, Pele is Touko's most difficult Pokemon to train, especially after she evolved into Zebstrika. At first, she had trouble fitting in with the rest of the team, often clashing with Ritsu, but after fighting many battles with them, she was eventually accepted for who she is by the rest of her teammates. The only Pokemon on Touko's team to handle spicy food, and the last Pokemon to be converted to the magical girl "hype train." **

**Gender: Female**

**Type: Electric**

**Nature: Lonely **

**Characteristic: Quick tempered**

**Ability: Motor Drive**

**Move set: Ion Deluge, Double-Edge, Wild Charge, Flame Charge **


	11. Touko's Homecoming

**Chapter 11: Touko's Homecoming.**

When Touko steps into Route 1, a gust of wind blows her ponytail upwards. Thin, yellow petals dance in the clear sky as they fly over the wild grass towards the small water channel to the west. Caged off at various parts of the road are patches of yellow daisies that wait for visitors to experience their show of twirling petals and bright sun. Touko takes a deep breath and sighs at the nostalgia coursing through her.

"This really takes me back," she says. "Cheren, Bianca, and I took our first steps out of Nuvema Town together. I remember being so excited, wondering what I would experience with my two friends."

"How long have you known Cheren and Bianca?" Mei asks.

"Ever since I can remember. Aside from Professor Juniper, Cheren's and Bianca's families were my only neighbors. When my mom settled down and had me, she wanted me to grow up in a place where I could appreciate the small things in life."

Touko lowers her head. "I've always wanted to be a trainer, though. My dad used to tell me stories of the vast mountains that he climbed and of the many cities he's been to. There's always a sense of longing in his voice whenever he talked about his journey."

"Your Pokémon never told me about your father," N recalls the time back at the Mistralton Gym when he asked Ritsu about his trainer. "Where is he now?"

"He's...gone. Packed up his stuff one day and left. He never turned back."

"I'm sorry to hear that. It seems we both have issues with our fathers…"

"It's okay, N. I've been over it for a while now. After all, I have Cheren, Bianca, and my mom by my side. Because of them, I was able to move on."

"Your friends are wonderful people, Touko. I hope I can be a friend you can rely on, too."

"I feel the same way. You can count on me for anything."

Listening to their conversation from behind them, Mei clutches her heart. _"This is sooo sweet. Nice job, N!"_

"So, Mei. What is it that you need to deliver to Professor Juniper?" Touko asks, moving onto a different subject. They reach the fork in the route, the one that leads to the small water channel and the gate to Route 17.

"Oh, just a package from Hugh. But I do need to make a detour to Route 18. Gotta drop off something to Colress."

N shakes his head. "I still don't think you should be associating yourself with that person. Even though I have not met him yet, he was willing to follow a man bent on controlling people and Pokémon for the sake of his research. That kind of person is dangerous."

"And I'm telling you that it's okay!" Mei retorts. "I've been keeping an eye on him so that he won't do anything like that again. Besides, he's still too busy analyzing his trip from Alola to be crafting a secret plot for world domination."

"He could be using that as a cover."

"No, he's not! I know him better than you!"

"_Alola?" _Touko tosses the word around in her head. _"Wasn't that the region without a Pokémon League?"_

"_**She must be talking about Alola's first champion."**_

"_Wait, what?! When did this happen?"_

"_**About five or six months ago. I believe we were in Hoenn, investigating rumors of a strong, green-haired trainer. A boy named Elio was crowned Alola's first champion."**_

"_I see...Guess I haven't been paying attention. But what does that have to do with Colress's research?"_

"_**That is something that Mei only knows. Let us ask her."**_

"Hey, Mei?" Touko speaks up, stopping their heated argument. "What exactly is Colress researching?"

The twin-bunned trainer recoils. "Umm, I'm not allowed to say. I made a promise to him, and I intend to keep it. Anyway, I have to get going. I'll talk to you two later! Oh, and N, you better behave!" She releases her Swanna and hops onto her back. Taking off in the direction of the docked airship, Mei doesn't see Touko's shaky grin as she waves her goodbye.

"I'm worried about her," N says. "I don't want her to be used by someone like that."

"I get what you mean, but we should have some faith in her. Mei can hold her own."

"...It must be hard keeping secrets. Now, shall we head to Nuvema Town?"

Touko stares at the Plasma Frigate before finally addressing him. "Yeah, let's go."

"_**Even more secrets we must unveil. Perhaps we should head to this Plasma Frigate after resting in Nuvema Town."**_

"_Don't worry, Reshiram. We'll find out soon enough. Besides, we can't be talking, considering how we're also hiding a big secret."_

...

A trail of wind carrying a string of flower petals accompanies Touko and N as they enter Nuvema Town. It flies over Professor Juniper's lab, which is nestled against the forest separating the town from Route 1. It then follows the paved road to three houses. One is situated in the middle of the town, while the other two are closer to the cliff overlooking the sea. The flower petals glide over the railings bordering the seaside cliff and drop into the ocean.

N takes a quick glance at the three houses. "Which one is yours?"

Touko points to the building in the middle. "That one. Cheren's the one to my right, and Bianca's on the left."

"Lead the way, Touko. I am eager to see what kind of person your mom is."

She slowly but steadily makes her way to her house, taking the long route that passes Professor Juniper's lab. Touko deeply inhales as her heart starts to speed up.

"_**Will you be alright, heroine?"**_

"_Yeah. I'm just thinking about what I should say to her. I know I have to apologize first, but…"_

"_**As long as your words are backed by your true feelings, your message will be understood. You are the one I have chosen to champion the truth, after all."**_

"_Thanks, Reshiram."_

They're now staring down the door to Touko's house. She brings her fist up in order to knock but retracts it at the last second. _"What am I doing? I don't need to knock..."_

Turning the doorknob, Touko enters her house for the first time in three years. She steps onto the navy blue doormat and takes off her shoes. N follows her example and closes the door once they tuck their shoes next to the entrance.

Nothing has changed. The living room is still mainly occupied by a large wooden table with a blue tablecloth. On top is a white vase adorned with the yellow flowers blooming on Route 1. An aqua rug with a plaid design keeps the table from pressing onto the floor, and three tiny cushions of the same color are laid out. A bookshelf loaded with picture books rests against the television at the end of the living room, which is currently showing an advertisement for an unnecessarily expensive Escape Rope. A small wall separates the kitchen from the rest of the first floor. The trash can is at the right side of the room, next to a green shelf carrying more Pokemon goods. Touching the left wall are two cabinets chock full of Pokémon goods and books as well as a small tree. The stairs to Touko's room are tucked at the top left corner.

And sitting on one of the cushions with her back turned to them is Touko's mom. She straightens when she hears the door closing, and without turning to see who it is, she says, "Oh, Mei! Doing another errand for Professor Juniper? You should take a break once in a while!"

When she gets no response, Touko's mom looks over her shoulder and gasps. The heroine tips her hat down and then flashes a small smile.

"I'm home, Mom."

"...Welcome home, Touko," her mom says after a few seconds of stunned silence. Touko feels her nose crinkle, ready to sniff back the first wave of tears. She dashes towards her mom and embraces her tightly. As Touko's mom pets her daughter's ponytail, she catches N staring at them with a faraway gaze.

"So, you're the N my daughter told me about," she says. "Come in. You're always welcome here."

He shuffles closer but far enough to give the two family members space. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm N Harmonia."

Touko's mom giggles. "Likewise. Oh, Touko, you're starting to squeeze too hard."

The heroine retracts herself from her mom, her face riddled with splotches of pink. "S-Sorry...I just really missed you."

"I missed you too. How about we bring out some snacks for our guest? Oh, and for your Pokemon, too!"

"Okay!"

"I'll help out as well," N chimes in. Touko's mom shakes her head and gestures to an unoccupied cushion on the floor. "I couldn't ask that of our guest. Why don't you take a seat?"

N plants himself onto the floor. Since it is just the two of them, N can't help but notice the light brown hair and sparkling blue eyes that Touko's mom has. It's as if he's looking into a mirror that shows the future: Touko's future self.

"I can see the resemblance between you and Touko," N says. "Touko has very vibrant eyes."

"Really? Why thank you. She may look like me, but she definitely inherited her father's personality."

"I see, so her father has that kind of conviction. The kind that never backs down, no matter what truths awaits them. It is with this determination that she was able to save me. I am grateful for everything that she's done."

"I'm glad you two were able to find each other again. Touko spent a long time searching for you."

The pleasant smile on N's face vanishes. "What?"

Touko's mom immediately catches on to the reason behind his shock. "Wait, she didn't tell you? After she defeated the Champion, she went on another journey to look for you."

Touko returns with a tray of tea and cookies. N lowers his head, his eyes covered by Touko's hat.

"What's wrong, N?" the heroine questions.

"I thought you went on a journey to travel the world and fulfill your dreams," he slowly says. "Why were you searching for me?"

Touko almost drops the tray she is holding, clearly unprepared for this conversation. N stands up and tips his hat down. "I am disappointed, Touko."

Her eyes snap up. "W-What?"

"I recall telling you to make your dreams a reality, that they'll become your truth. Without Team Plasma, my father, or me standing in your way, you were finally free to pursue them. And yet, you placed them aside in order to search for me. No, I cannot accept that. You should have focused on your dreams instead of chasing after the past."

Touko trembles, the tray in her hands shaking violently. "So my choice is wrong? What if the reason I needed to find you is more important than my dream? What if they're related to each other?"

N shakes his head. "I have hurt you, Touko. I had threatened the very world you wished to explore and know and love. My ideals went against your dreams. How can I possibly believe that I'm more important than your dreams, let alone be a part of them?"

She deflates. "But you don't think that way anymore. You don't believe that humans and Pokémon should be separated."

"That may be true, but that is irrelevant. I am a part of the past that you should move on from. Even this journey...is too much for me now. At first, I was happy that you accepted my offer. I've always wanted to learn more about you, not just as the other hero, but as a normal human trainer. But now that I've realized where you've been all this time, I cannot allow you to cling onto the past."

"You didn't want me to find you," Touko states, finally piecing together his message.

He turns to the door. "There's one more thing that I have to say. I will not hide anything from you. Even if it will hurt you, I know you are strong enough to handle anything."

Touko's heart is being choked, wrung out by the hurt she's experiencing. For a moment, she doubts that she can handle any more. But she has to listen. She must listen. Even if it brings her even more pain.

She vowed to herself that she would.

"I never left Unova," he says. "I've been here the entire time. I couldn't bear to leave. The world is so vast. If I cannot understand the people and Pokémon that I was supposed to lead, then I have no right to explore the world."

All he hears is a pained gasp. It is a short gasp, one that is similar to someone waking up from a nightmare. Then the tray crashes to the floor. Teacups shatter in half. The cookies break apart. Only the plates remain intact.

He doesn't turn around. He knows that he won't be able to face the betrayal on Touko's face head-on.

"Do you understand now? I left with the reassurance that you'll be able to make your dreams come true. I didn't want to stand in the way of that anymore. But I still did, in the end."

He opens the door. "I'm sorry."

_Slam._

Touko, with N's hat covering her eyes, stares down at the shattered porcelain around her feet. "W-Why are you apologizing…? T-That's my line…damn it."

…

He runs to Route 1. The wild Pokémon, sensing his distress, cautiously approach him as he rushes through the tall grass. He bumps into something when he turns the corner; a startled shriek shakes him out of his thoughts.

"N?" Mei gasps when she sees his lips tightly closed and his hat, Touko's hat, drawn down to hide his eyes.

"Ah, Mei...You're the person I needed to see."

"What happened? Where's Touko?"

"She's back home. I..."

Mei gestures to the edge of the water channel. "Here, sit down and start from the beginning."

As he explains that Touko had been looking for him, he fiddles with the cube attached to his waist. With each word that he says, his hand restlessly shifts from the cube to his hat.

Once he finishes his explanation, Mei guiltily looks away. "I knew you would find out eventually."

"You knew?" N gasps out.

She sighs. "Yeah, for several months now. It was the first thing that I learned when I first stepped foot in Nuvema Town. Touko's mom also slipped that Touko was looking for you."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't my place to say. Besides, what were you going to do if I did tell you? Look for her? She fell out of contact with everyone, even her closest friends and her mom. I'm not letting my friend go on a wild goose chase and suffer through all of that desperation."

He realizes then why Mei had fervently stopped him from pursuing Touko. Why she insisted on teaching him basic social etiquette. "You wanted me to wait for her so that eventually, she'll find me here."

The actress nods. "What you said to Touko just now was what I was telling you back then. I get why you told her the truth of where you've been, even if you know that it'll hurt her. But if she puts aside everything, including her dreams, to look for you, isn't that proof that she sees you as something more than her enemy?"

N doesn't respond right away. Mei finally notices the wild Pokémon crowding around them, clearly worried for the green-haired man.

"While you think about it, why don't we start lunch?" the actress suggests. N follows her gaze to the horde of Patrat and Lillipup staring at them.

"...Okay."

…

Touko bends down to pick up the shards of porcelain that used to be a teacup. She grimaces at the tea spilled on the floor, and after lifting the fallen tray up from the floor, heads to the kitchen to grab a towel.

"Sorry, Mom…" she mutters as she finishes cleaning up the mess. _"Sorry...that you had to hear that."_

"It's okay, Touko. We can always get more teacups. More importantly, are you alright?" Touko's mom pats her daughter's shoulder. She can feel the trainer tremble, and even though she can't see Touko's face, she knows that she's struggling to not break down.

"D-did I make the wrong decision, Mom? Did I w-waste my time?"

"I can't answer that for you, dear."

Touko snaps her head up. She bares her teeth as tears run down like an overflowing stream. "H-He was here! In Unova! That damn International Police detective led me on! I-I could have seen him much sooner! I could have been there to help him and Mei fight Neo Team Plasma!"

"_**Heroine…"**_

Touko rests her head against the wooden table. All of her energy and fire in her eyes is gone.

"Even if he was here the whole time, I would have been okay if he said he was happy that I wanted to see him again. But he didn't…"

A cup of warm milk is placed next to Touko's head. She lifts herself up and cradles the cup as her mom sits next to her. Touko leans on her mother's shoulder.

"You haven't apologized to him yet?" the older woman softly asks.

A shake of the head. Touko takes a long sip. "I was so caught up in journeying with him. It's fun...exploring Unova with him by my side. But I don't think he wants to anymore."

"No, I'm certain that he does, Touko."

"B-But he just said…"

"Why did he say those things, dear? Is it because he doesn't like you? Or is it the other way around?"

Her heart wants to believe the former, but his words, the truth of his feelings, keep coming back. _"I have hurt you, Touko. I had threatened the very world you wished to explore and know and love. My ideals went against your dreams. How can I possibly believe that I'm more important than your dreams, let alone be a part of them?"_

"N...is it possible that he feels the same way I do?" she wonders aloud.

Touko's mom lets her daughter think as she wraps her arm around Touko's back. The occasional short sipping noise pokes at the silence that ensues. Somewhere in the middle of her musings, Touko's team releases themselves from their Poke Balls, with the obvious exception of Reshiram, and huddles around the two humans. Within its luxury ball, Reshiram observes its heroine with a sullen gaze.

"_**Even if these two are humans who prefer to express their true feelings directly, they can still misunderstand each other. But I suppose that this time, it is different because their intentions are the same. Heroine, take as much time as you need to recover. Your choice is your own, and I know that, in the end, you have the strength to accept it."**_

…

When night falls, and Touko tucks herself in, Touko's mom leaves the comfort of her house for some fresh air. She pulls out a Poke Ball and releases a golem-like Pokémon. It easily towers over the small town, double its trainer's height. Its faded blue body moves slowly as it flexes its massive hands.

Golurk bends down to its trainer and recognizes her tightly close lips and downcast eyes.

"Golurk, do you think I've been worrying for nothing?"

The Automaton Pokémon cradles her in its large palms. She continues to rant, not caring if anyone hears her.

"Touko has accomplished so many things on her journey. Teaming up with the legendary Pokémon, beating the Champion, even becoming the hero of legend! Hearing her and N earlier made me realize just how much she has gone through. She has her own problems, her own thoughts and feelings. I'm her mother, so I can't help but worry, but still. Is it too much to ask for one update?"

The ground and ghost-type Pokémon holds her close to its chest. She traces the edges of its seal.

"_Touko must never know of these feelings. I have to stay strong because she needs her mother."_

A short but harsh gust of wind rattles the trees. Golurk sets its trainer down and lifts its right fist up. Touko's mom scans the darkness, searching for the threat that her Pokémon sensed.

"Shadow Punch, Golurk."

The Automaton Pokémon doesn't move from its spot, but a ghastly aura slowly flickers around it. Something rushes past the Golurk, bringing with it a burst of wind. Touko's mom continues to whip her head wildly, her search becoming more and more desperate. Behind them, up on the rooftop, a human-like silhouette peers down on them. Golurk notices the shadow before its trainer does, and from the tiles of the roof, a punch made of the same aura coating the Golurk attempts to knock the mysterious figure down to its level. The shadow jumps up to avoid the attack before diving down towards the Golurk. With one swipe of its bladed arm, it topples the golem-like Pokémon.

Touko's mom gasps at the speed at which her Pokémon falls. The silhouette lands in front of her, revealing itself to be a Bisharp. Another ripple in the darkness, and the Bisharp's trainer appears next to it: a man dressed in all black, save for his white hair and dull, gray eyes.

"W-Who are you?!"

Shadow merely pulls out a device from his pants and aims it at Touko's mom. She places herself in front of Golurk, spreading her arms out as a barrier. The ninja presses a button, and a portal opens above her. It sucks both her and her Pokémon in all too quickly, not giving her a chance to scream for help.

From their union, a blue golem surrounded by a flaring aura dwarfs the town. Similar in stature to a Golurk, the seal on the Kugeki's chest is ripped open, revealing Touko's mom wrapped in shadowy hands. Her eyes and ears are covered. The Kugeki takes a step towards Professor Juniper's lab, which triggers an earthquake that shakes the trees. Shadow disappears into the darkness just as his fused monster coats Nuvema Town with an aura of despair.

…

Touko can't sleep. Even after telling her mom that she'll get some rest, her eyes refuse to close. In truth, how can she? Her mind is still struggling to find an answer to N's feelings. She curls herself up and gazes at the cream-colored wall.

"_How do I get my feelings through to him? I don't want to dismiss what he said, but I still want to journey with him. There are so many things I have to tell him."_

"_**I highly suggest that you sleep, heroine. You have been pondering this issue for a long while now. Perhaps the answer will come in the morning."**_

She faces the center of her room, where she sees her team sleeping on the purple rug. While Pele is hogging the majority of the mat, Valyn is pressed against her work desk. Scoria is resting in front of the television. Ritsu has his head resting against Touko's bed, and Lillil is leaning against Pele, Reshiram's luxury ball in her hands. The grass-type squeaks when she catches eye contact with her trainer and hops her way to Touko's side, using Ritsu's back as a step to get onto the bed.

"Can't sleep, either, Lillil?" Touko asks. The Flowering Pokémon shakes her head and points to the luxury ball in her hands.

"_**You do not have to stay up with me," **_Reshiram says to the Lilligant. _**"I am perfectly capable of rolling to my heroine's side if she needs me."**_

Touko giggles when Lillil shakes her head furiously. Turning her head to the ceiling, the heroine closes her eyes, finally feeling the first visage of sleep enter her body.

That is until Reshiram's luxury ball drops onto her stomach, and she hears the pained cry of her Lilligant. Touko gets up and gasps when she sees Lillil surrounded by a thin purple aura, clutching her head. The rest of her team is also grimacing, mostly likely plagued by nightmares.

"_**This is bad. We must return everyone to their Poke Balls."**_

Touko grabs her bag and fishes for her Poke Balls. After recalling her Pokémon, she grasps Reshiram's luxury ball.

"_I'll have to deal with my answer to N later. Huh, didn't think I would actually be looking forward to doing magical girl things…"_

"Curing Fusion Orb!"

Instead of the light stealing her away from the world, a ring of orange embers circles around her feet. It slowly climbs up her body, first replacing her pajama pants with a pair of white boots that reach up to her knees and a short white skirt that flares over her thighs. The ring then expands as her wings and the rest of her dress appear. After surrounding her neck with a silver choker and clasping the circle earrings onto her ears, the dancing embers dives into her hair, which then extends and changes to a bright orange color with a short _pop._

"The Heroine of Truth, Cure Flare!"

She flies downstairs, immediately noticing that her mom is missing. Her stomach sinks as she shoves the door open. Just as she feared, the Precure finds herself staring up at a massive Golurk-like Kugeki...and her captured mother inside of it.

The monster jerks upon seeing the magical girl, and in response, the many hands blinding Touko's mom increase their grip on her.

"N-No…"

"Cure Flare," Shadow calls as he materializes onto the roof of her house.

"First Bianca, then Cheren, and now my mom?! Stop involving them! They have nothing to do with this!" Flare snaps, her eyes blazing with a deep blue fire.

"So long as they remain important to you, we will use them against you, Flare. For our experiment to work, we need to gauge the strength of your power. Your full power."

The ninja points to the magical girl. "Kugeki, you know what to do."

A large fist comes Flare's way, threatening to crush her house. She leaps off the ground and meets it with a punch of her own. Opening her fist, the Precure unleashes a burst of fire, making the Kugeki retract its hand back. As it recoils from the heat, Flare chases after its burned hand and, after grasping two of its fingers, tosses the monster towards the cliff.

The Kugeki tucks its legs into its body before it can hit the sea, transforming itself into a rocket. Flare launches a flamethrower at the barreling missile, but the monster powers through the fire and headbutts the magical girl towards Route 1. She crashes onto the small beach, and before she can lift her head off the sand, the Kugeki dives after her, attempting to crush her under its fist. Flare stops the punch at the last minute, using her hands as a shield.

"Why did you leave me, Touko?"

Flare heats her palms again, forcing the golem to retreat as she picks herself up. "M-Mom…"

"Why did you listen to that inspector? Is N that important to you? He hurt you! He betrayed you!"

"No, he didn't!" the Precure cries out. "I was the one who hurt him! I needed to tell him that I want a second chance to be his friend! It's my fault for being controlled by my anger!"

"If only you have stayed here in Unova, I wouldn't have felt so lonely!"

The ghastly hands binding Touko's mom to the Kugeki rush out and grab the magical girl. As she frantically wiggles, the Precure is brought before her blinded mother.

"First, my husband leaves me because he's more committed to adventuring than to his family. And now, my precious girl doesn't even want to come home! No message, no letter! Chasing after someone that she shouldn't have! If this is what it means to be a mother, then I wish I could go back and change everything!"

"You can, Kugeki," Shadow says, reappearing on the golem's shoulder. "All you have to do is destroy the Precure in front of you. If you do, everything will be reverted. You can erase the source of your sadness and loneliness from existence."

"Mom, don't listen to him!" Flare pleads, tears already pouring down her face. She concentrates and summons several fireballs, firing them at the shadowy arms holding her captive. They loosen their grip for a moment, and the Precure is able to escape. She flies towards Route 17, intending to draw the Kugeki's attention away from Nuvema Town.

Well, she tries to. She barely passes the gate before she is face-to-face with a giant, bulky hand. The Kugeki comes out of the shadows and grabs the Precure again, this time tightening its grip until she can hardly breathe. It carries her back to her hometown, stomping its way through the patch of forest bordering the small village.

"Doesn't she know how lonely it was to wait for her? Living day by day, not knowing whether or not she's okay? I shouldn't have worried about her. I should have just moved on."

Flare hangs her head down. _"I thought the same thing. I thought Mom didn't want to see me after being gone for so long. She had her Pokémon to keep her company, after all. I should have known that's not enough. It'll never be enough for her."_

Shadow nods at the Precure's defeated state. "This is what you get for abandoning your loved ones. Now, finish her along with this town."

The golem's feet crash down onto Professor Juniper's lab. The Kugeki, upon seeing Flare's house, raises its arm, the one trapping the Precure, and throws her, sending her through the wall into her room. She easily soars past the room into the opposite wall, breaking it, and she rolls towards the cliff side. The metal railings stop her momentum, but her back pays the price for it.

"_**Flare, you must pick yourself back up!" **_Reshiram says, on the verge of desperation. _**"You have to fight!"**_

The Precure uses her arms to push herself back up, but she can only lift her head off of the ground. Bearing through the pain, she opens her eyes to see the Kugeki with its hands joined into one fist, ready to swing as if it's holding a baseball bat.

With a sudden burst of energy, Flare launches herself in the path of the Kugeki's attack. She hastily constructs a shield of fire to block the punch. The first impact pushes her against her house. The second impact puts a dent into her barrier.

"You always were like your father, Touko. In every single way," her mother's distorted voice bitterly says.

Flare gasps as despair slowly drains the life out of her eyes. The Kugeki swings a third time, and her shield shatters. The momentum from the Kugeki's punch sends Flare crashing into her house. Her body breaks through the wall and immediately destroys the bookshelf and cabinet full of Pokémon goods behind it. The magical girl becomes a missile of destruction as she bashes through the opposite end of her house. She harshly collapses onto her back, splinters of wood digging into her battered body.

"_**Touko!" **_Reshiram wails.

…

Mei stands defiantly, facing the other two members of the Shadow Triad with her Cincinno and Serperior by her side. N rests by her feet, unaware of the fight occurring before him. As for the Shadow Triad, both of their Bisharp have already fainted.

"Serperior, Cincinno, make sure they don't touch N. I have to help Touko," Mei commands as she grabs Zekrom's ultra ball from her bag. She transforms then and there, and after she becomes Cure Bolt, she flies over the two ninjas towards Nuvema Town.

"We can't let her get away!" The two Shadows begin to vanish, but Serperior whips up a Leaf Storm. The grass-type Pokémon slithers within the storm and coils his body around the two ninjas. Serperior hisses at Cincinno to guard N, tightening his grip on his captives when they begin to struggle.

Once Bolt is able to see how the situation with the Kugeki is going, she bites her lips at the destruction. Miraculously, Touko's house is still standing, but Cure Flare herself is laying on the ground, battered and close to the point of transforming back into her civilian form.

"_**It seems that this is as far as she can go. Let us finish it off."**_

Bolt bows her head and then slowly nods. She imbues her fist with purple energy, which takes the form of a claw. Spreading her wings, she is about to dive into the fray when she catches Cure Flare move slightly. She watches as the white Precure uses her arms to push herself off of the paved road.

"Flare…" Bolt mutters.

"_**What do you want to do, Bolt? Do we still finish this for her?"**_

She turns to the Kugeki, to the woman trapped within its chest, and she remembers the many times she sat in that living room, sipping tea and sharing stories of her journey. She remembers the flashes of longing lingering in the mother's voice as she tells her for the umpteen time how she wishes that her daughter could meet her.

"...This is something between the two of them. I...I don't want to interfere."

Zekrom stares at its heroine. _**"Very well."**_

…

Flare wonders if this is the first time she's been pushed to such a dire situation. Not even N threatening to liberate all Pokémon got her to feel so devastated.

"_Mom...are these your true feelings? The ones you've been hiding from me the whole time…?"_

Her legs can barely support her. She feels like bending over and barfing. Her arms are sore from defending against three powerful punches. Each breath she takes in is only making her body cry in pain. Her vision is blurry at best.

"That's...the first time you've ever called me by my name, Reshiram. Did it...really have to take me being in a life-or-death situation...to do so?" she asks the tiny Pokémon on her shoulder. Reshiram can only stare back dumbly. The Precure lifts her head.

"Are you...happy now, Mom?" The Precure coughs out. Her voice is fragile, only held together by the remorse keeping it alive. "Did that...make you feel better?"

From her shadowy prison, Touko's mom wails, "I don't need you, Touko! If you're going to abandon me like your father did, then I don't want to see you ever again!" It winds up another punch, and this time, it intends to crush Flare like a bug-type Pokémon. The speed of its attack is too fast for her to dodge.

"_**Touko!"**_

The resolute sound of a punch rings in Reshiram's ears. A shockwave shakes the trees and blows away the debris.

"I know that's not how you truly feel," she eventually says. Her tiny fist strains against the Kugeki's large fist. "Everything you've said up to now is true. I didn't keep in touch with you. I've made you worry for no reason. I'm the cause of all of these negative emotions. And for that, I'm really sorry."

Flare glances up with blue fire in her eyes, the same color as Reshiram's flames. "But, deep down, you wanted to see me again. You wanted to know whether or not I found the person that I was searching for. All this time, you've been waiting so patiently for me, even though you were losing hope. Even when you feared that I was going to be like Dad."

She gathers more strength into her fist and repels the Kugeki. It falls just inches away from Professor Juniper's lab.

"Don't listen to her, Kugeki," Shadow coldly orders. "Listen to your heart. Let your feelings out and use them to defeat her."

"I'm not going to run from your true feelings, Mom," Flare continues, ignoring the way the Shadow Triad member sneers at her. "I'm going to fix my mistakes. Starting now, I'm going to be there for you just as you have for me. I won't forget you. I won't abandon you."

The sun rises. Flare soars up to her mother's level, staring at the entangled pile of ghost hands threatening to swallow their captive.

"That is my truth. And it's time I prove it to you."

"Touko…" Touko's mom sobs, all of her animosity gone and replaced with sheer longing. "Touko...where are you?"

She closes her eyes and begins to absorb sunlight, cradling a tiny white orb in her hands. Glowing with white light, the Precure nurtures the ball of pure energy, imbuing it with her feelings and convictions. When the orb is as big as a basketball, Flare slowly opens her eyes.

"Precure...Solarbeam Flare."

As the magical girl smiles serenely, she, the Kugeki, and Nuvema Town are bathed in white light.

…

Touko wakes up on her bed and wishes she can go back to sleep_**. **_Her entire body aches. While she can breathe properly again, she can't say the same for moving her limbs. The pain keeps her anchored to the soft mattress.

"H-How long have I been…?"

"_**Almost a week, Touko. You have been drifting in and out ever since that battle."**_

She forces herself to get up, slowly lifting her body to a sitting position. Reshiram's luxury ball rests on her desk.

"A-And my mom…? N?"

"_**She has been constantly checking up on you. It seems she has something to say to you, but she has been waiting until you have fully regained consciousness. As for N, I have not seen him since he left."**_

Touko looks down at her purple blanket. "I-I see…"

Footsteps tap against the staircase. The heroine looks up and sees her mother carrying a towel in one hand. When the older woman finds her daughter awake, she dashes to her side, embracing her tightly.

"Touko…Oh, I'm so glad you're awake."

When Touko wraps her arms around her mother, she notices how her mother's body is shaking. She hears her sniffle, and she moves one of her hands to her mother's hair.

"Mom…"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Huh…? Why are you apologizing?" Touko asks.

"Because I did this to you! What kind of mother hurts her daughter like that?! I-I could have-!"

"Mom..."

"I know you were the one trying to save me. Even though you looked completely different, I can never forget your voice, dear."

They pull away, and Touko's mom wipes away some of her tears. Meanwhile, Touko avoids eye contact, instead choosing to keep her gaze on her blanket.

"I'm sorry that I said those things to you," her mom says after a long silence. She places her hand over Touko's right hand. "All I could think about was the loneliness that I felt, and I couldn't stop myself."

Touko keeps her head down. "I'm the one who should be apologizing. It's because I was so focused on finding N that I neglected everything else. I made you think that I abandoned you."

Her mom opens her mouth to refute, but Touko looks up. "Don't deny it, Mom! I've heard all of your true feelings. When you're turned into that monster, it brings up the darkness inside of you. Even if it was for a moment, you thought those things. And some of them aren't exactly wrong."

"Still, I'm sorry."

Touko places her other hand over their joined hands. "I forgive you. I'm actually glad that I now know what you're feeling deep down."

Her mother softly grins. "It does feel like a weight has been lifted from my chest. But how did I become that thing? And how did you change me back? It's like you were a magical girl, like the ones on TV."

The heroine nervously smiles back. "Uhh...that's a long story…"

...

N's mind is reeling.

He had spent the past couple of days pondering over what to do. Should he go back to Driftveil City and help Sage Rood again? Should he continue his journey with Touko? He feels the need to know her answer, but after Mei told him that he needed to give Touko time to sort out her thoughts, he decides to wait until she's ready.

But when Mei comes back from Nuvema Town one day, telling him that Touko would like to speak with him, he immediately dashes into the small town. His heart pounds, but he can't determine if it's from anticipation or nervousness.

The first thing he notices is Professor Juniper's lab. Or what's left of it. The entire building has been flattened. There is police tape surrounding the place already, along with an officer dressed in a brown coat, who is talking to Professor Juniper.

"Have you found any clues?" he hears the Professor ask.

"None as of right now. I've tried interrogating the residents, but they don't seem to know anything."

"Did you ask Touko's mom? Her house is also in bad shape."

"She doesn't have a clue, either. Apparently, she found her house like that when she woke up one day. Quite a vexing problem we have here."

"Oh dear. What about my research?

"I assure you, Professor. We will have your lab back to normal as soon as possible, but for now, I suggest you conduct your research in a temporary location. Now, I must further investigate the crime scene. If I recover anything, I'll make sure to send it to you."

N turns his head to Touko's house and notices a Conkeldurr patching up what seems to be a large hole in the wall. He runs to the front of the house to get a better view, and another Conkeldurr is sitting on a ladder, closing another hole that is closer to the roof.

"W-What happened?"

The front door opens, and Touko exits with her head turned around. "I'll be back, Mom. And yes, I'll be fine!"

"Touko?" he calls. She recoils, almost shrieking.

"N, you scared me! I didn't expect to see you so soon!"

"My apologies. I came as soon as possible." His gaze shifts to the construction around them. Touko catches the question in his eyes.

"Yeah, I don't know what happened either. Woke up one morning and found the living room completely destroyed. I'm just glad we didn't get robbed."

She nervously chuckles, the kind that's too obvious. N tilts his head.

"I'm beginning to think that you attract trouble, Touko."

"I think so, too. Can't I get a break?"

He chuckles with her, the tension between them almost nonexistent. Then, Touko starts walking towards the cliff side, with N trailing behind her. Once the two of them are staring at the vast and open sea, Touko says, "I want to continue our journey."

"Touko?"

"It's a real shame that it turned out that you never left Unova. But I don't regret my choice. The past three years have given me plenty of time to think about my journey and bond with my Pokémon. More importantly, it gave me time to think about what I wanted to tell you once I found you. I just regret that I got blindsided by my goal."

She faces him. "Do you want to know what my dream is?"

"Yes," N immediately answers.

"My dream is to help people and Pokémon achieve amazing things together. I want to prove that we can co-exist together."

N's eyes widen. Touko extends her hand out to him. "Will you help me?"

He first stares at her outstretched hand and then at her determined smile. Her blue eyes are bright, brimming with hope.

He can't deny her.

"Of course, Touko." He takes her hand.

…

Cheren rubs his eyelids as his head nurtures the headache blooming in his mind. The new semester is almost here, and he's scrambling to finish his preparations. He has spent too much time dealing with Touko and the bizarre events surrounding the new threat she is fighting.

He hears a knock on his office door. "Come in," he calls.

Bianca peeks her head in. "I thought you would be here. Here, drink this." She waltzes in with a cup of coffee and places it on his desk. Cheren gratefully takes the cup and takes a long sip.

"Thank you. Why are you up so late?"

"I was worried about you. It's kind of my fault that you're struggling to finish everything on time."

He gives her a tired grin. "Don't apologize. Because of you, I was able to gather more information about the new threat with the Shadow Triad. Plus, it was amusing seeing Touko as a magical girl."

"I was really surprised, too! Remember how she stubbornly refused to watch shows like that when she was younger?"

"Kind of ironic that her first Pokémon was the reason she opened up to the idea, don't you think?"

Bianca scans his desk. Towers of paper borders the edges, white soldiers lining the wooden hallway that precedes their ruler. They wait for verification, a fanciful and short signature embodied with a large "C", to carry out their intended purpose. In the middle of his desk, in addition to his current assignment, is a notebook, opened to a list of bullet points and a small sketch of Touko's Precure alter ego.

"You've been working really hard, haven't you?" she asks. Cheren merely nods and continues his paperwork. He only finishes half of the pile he is working on when his and Bianca's Xtransceivers begin to ring.

"_Cheren? Bianca?" _Touko tests when they answer her call. Her mom also takes up part of the screen.

"Touko? How come you're calling so late?" Cheren questions. "Ah, and hello, ma'am."

"_It's good to see you two doing well," _Touko's mom greets. _"How are you doing?"_

"I'm feeling pretty tired, honestly, but I can't sleep yet. I have to finish preparing for the new semester. Bianca's just keeping me company."

Touko nods. _"Perfect. That means no one can eavesdrop on us. Have you found anything about the Shadow Triad?"_

Cheren raises an eyebrow. "Touko, your mom…"

"_It's okay, Cheren. Touko has told me everything. You see, I was also turned into a Kugeki."_

"W-What?! When?!"

"_Very recently. Professor Juniper's lab and my house are under repairs from the fight."_

Bianca looks at Cheren worryingly, while he shakes his head. "Unbelievable. They even used you."

"_She remembers, Cheren. Just like Doyle."_

The teacher realizes he won't get any more work done after that. He pulls his open notebook to the center of his desk and flips to a new page.

"Tell us everything, Touko," he demands.

The heroine nods again. _"I also got another hint from Cure Bolt…"_

…

Against the bright lights of Nimbasa City, a young man wearing a visor leans against the entrance to the Battle Subway and answers his Xtransceiver.

"Hello? I'm free at the moment, Inspector. Sorry, sir. How was your investigation? I see. That's a massive amount of property damage. Yes, I finished taking notes on the strange imprint in Accumula Town. Huh, you want me to take this case? Are you sure? I feel like I haven't been taught all of the necessary skills yet. You...believe in me? Very well. I will solve this case and bring the perpetrator to justice. I won't disappoint you, sir. Oh, before you hang up, please let me know if you find anything that can help _him._ Thank you, sir. Good night."

_Click._

**Profile: Golurk**

**The guardian of Touko's mom and the Automaton Pokémon. The only Pokémon left in Touko's mom's possession, this loyal Pokémon has been there for her brightest and darkest days. When she decided to settle down to raise Touko, Golurk chose to stay by her side. It is always willing to lend its support to its trainer and her daughter. Still packs a punch even after all of these years. **

**Type: Ground/Ghost**

**Nature: Careful**

**Characteristic: Likes to relax**

**Ability: Iron Fist**

**Move set: Shadow Punch, Earthquake, Hammer Arm, Iron Defense**


End file.
